NEW DELHI, Apr 24: The centre has asked states to consider setting up field hospitals with help from government research agencies or the private sector as the country prepares for the massive vaccination programme from May 1 when all citizens above the age of 18 will be covered.
This recommendation was one of the many in the latest strategy guide released by the centre on Saturday to take India’s vaccination drive forward.
States can take help from agencies like the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and similar agencies in the private sector to build field hospitals, the centre said.
The centre said states should try to register more private vaccination centres in “mission mode.”
“The CoWIN platform has now stabilised and is working at scale flawlessly. It is equipped to handle the complexities of the new phase of vaccination starting from May 1,” said Dr RS Sharma, chairman of the empowered group on technology and data management on COVID-19.
Sharma said it is important for states to upload correct and timely data as any incorrect data would compromise the integrity of the entire system. The centre asked states to pay “fair and regular remuneration” to frontline health workers.
Among other guidelines issued by the Centre were:
- Monitor number of hospitals that have procured vaccines and have declared stocks and prices on CoWIN.
- Publicise about facility of online registration for age groups 18-45.
- Coordinate with law-and-order authorities for effective crowd management at vaccination centres.
- Expand designated COVID-19 care facilities for isolation of asymptomatic and mild symptomatic patients so that all those who either cannot isolate at home and/or are willing for institutional isolation, have access to space and care.
The surge in Covid cases in recent weeks have led to what is now being called a deadlier second wave of the pandemic. Social media is full of stories of desperate people trying to find oxygen or a hospital bed for their friends and family.
(Manas Dasgupta)