With the roll-out of a potential Covid19 vaccine imminent by 2021, Arunachal Pradesh chief secretary Naresh Kumar has asked the deputy commissioners (DCs) of the state to start preparations for facilitating the immunization process.
Addressing a virtual meeting from the civil secretariat at Itanagar on Wednesday, the chief secretary asked the deputy commissioners to oversee the preparedness of cold storage facilities, logistics and other necessary facilities in their respective districts.
Kumar asked the DCs to prepare a ‘Covid-19 district micro plan’ and constitute district and block task forces for better coordination, operational planning and communication, so as to make the vaccination drive successful.
The DCs were further asked to roll out effective information, education, and communication (IEC) campaigns to address threats of disinformation, doubts, anti-vaccine lobbying and rumours.
The chief secretary, however, informed that as per the priority plan of the Government of India, Covid-19 vaccine will be administered to healthcare workers of both public and private sectors.
The healthcare workers include anganwadi workers, integrated child development services (ICDS) supervisors and child development project officers (CDPOs) in the first phase.
“Also, information in regards to the time of launch, brand and dosage of the vaccine is yet to be communicated by the Central government,” Kumar said.
Arunachal Pradesh’s Covid19 tally reached 16,296 with 14 more people testing positive for the virus on Tuesday.
The state currently has 786 active Covid19 cases, while 54 people have succumbed to the infection so far.
Among others, commissioner chief minister Sonam Chombey, commissioner (home) Kaling Tayeng, health and family welfare secretary P Partibhan, IPR deputy director Denhang Bosai, senior health officers and the DC and medical officers of all the districts attended the meeting.
