At control room, ‘buzzing’ day ahead of mop-up round

NOIDA: It was a hectic weekend for the Integrated Control Room (ICR) at HCL premises in Noida Sector 59.

All 30 phone lines attached to the helpline 18004192211 (extension number 6) at the vaccination cell of the ICR received calls every 10th minute for three hours, starting 2 pm, on Sunday.

A Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, called to ask: “I tested positive for Covid-19 last month and was admitted to the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) referral hospital at Lakhnawali camp in Greater Noida. While being discharged from the hospital, the doctors had told me that since I’ve developed antibodies to fight the viral infection, there is no need to take the jab unnecessarily.”

Set up on January 27 to provide solutions to the pre and post-inoculation queries of beneficiaries, the vaccination cell has received over 1,000 calls in the last 18 days.

A team of four doctors is led by Dr Lalit Kumar, the additional chief medical officer (ACMO) and the in-charge of ICR, besides Dr Akanksha Kanoujia, Dr Naina Gupta, Dr Nitin Kumar and Dr Akash Kumar, work in three shifts 24x7 – 8am to 2pm, 2pm to 8pm and 8pm to 8am.

The ACMO said the vaccination cell here receives several calls these days.

“While beneficiaries who have received their vaccine dose ask about the medication and precautions to be taken in the post-vaccination days, the listed frontline workers often want to know what is the accuracy and efficiency of the vaccine whether it should be taken or not. There is another lot of callers who want to know the difference between the two types of vaccines being administered here,” the said.

The vaccination cell also has seven support staff for each shift.

“They (mostly teachers from government schools) support us in making and receiving the calls and forwarding it to doctors. The support staff also work in shifts. These days, we are making calls to beneficiaries who were left out in the first phase of the vaccination drive, for the mop-up round on February 15. Besides, we are also calling beneficiaries who had taken their first dose on January 16 to come to their respective booths for the second dose on February 15,” the ACMO said.

Gautam Budh Nagar district’s chief medical officer (CMO), Dr Deepak Ohri, who was present at the vaccination cell of ICR, located inside the premises of in HCL Technologies, Sunday, said the district health department is leaving no stone unturned to try for a 100% turnout during the vaccination.

“Eighty vaccination booths at 26 hospitals in the district have been for the mop-up round and the second dose of the vaccination in the district on Monday,” he said.

“Those who have been vaccinated are being asked to motivate others. Video messages of vaccination ambassadors are also being circulated,” the CMO said.

Some ask about medications and precautions to take, while some enquire about its efficiency. There is another lot who wants to know difference between the two types of vaccines.

DR LALIT KUMAR, additional chief medical officer