30,000 more workers register

AMRITSAR : The state health department has registered 30,000 more health workers, mostly employed with the private sector, on the Centre’s Co-WIN app for priority vaccination. Now, 1.9 lakh health workers are registered in the state, with 39,393 (nearly 21%) having taken the shots to date.

On Monday, 8,066 health workers were inoculated with anti-covid vaccine at 262 locations in the state, against the target of 24,780 beneficiaries.

Those included in the first phase of the vaccination drive across India are 13 categories of health care workers, including MBBS doctors, AYUSH practitioners, nurses, lab technicians, pharmacists and ANMs (Auxiliary Nurse Midwife), dentist, paramedical staff, scientist and research staff, support staff- dietary staff, sanitation worker, ambulance drivers, security staff, outsource agency staff and other support staff, and clerical and administrative staff in the hospital, who were part of the front-line workforce against covid-19.

“After finding that no serious adverse effect of vaccine was being reported in the state, many private sector health workers, who had missed their registration earlier, appealed appeals to be part of the vaccination drive,” said Punjab nodal officer for covid-19, Dr Rajesh Bhaskar.

He added, “Since many categories of health workers are included in the first phase, private hospitals were confused on who could register. Of total, 1.9 lakh beneficiaries, 1.04 lakh are government health workers while the remaining are from private sector. Since private sector beneficiaries are keener on vaccine shots than government health care workers, all health workers, who have missed out so far, can register.”

“Since no major side effects are being reported, me and my hospital staff are now willing to take the vaccine,” said an Amritsar-based doctor. Besides this, the state health department is also collecting data of police personnel, members of para-military forces, sanitation staff, municipal corporation and revenue department employees and other government employees, who were part of the front-line workforce, for second phase of the vaccination drive.

37,000 doses of Covaxin received

Punjab received its first consignment of 37,000 doses of Covaxin vaccine on Monday. Previously, the state had received 4 lakh doses of Covishield vaccine in two consignments.