The second dry run for the first phase of Covid-19 vaccination drive across 188 health centres in Jharkhand went off smoothly on Friday except for a few minor glitches in the handling of Co-WIN application, a special software devised for the vaccination programme, officials of the state health department have said.

Nodal officer of the state vaccination programme Dr Ajit Prasad in Ranchi said the entire operation involved around 5,000 people including those posing as beneficiaries at vaccine points. “The drive started from 9 am and it continued for over two hours,” he said.

“The second run too was equally successful, except some very minor operational issues with Co-WIN application in a few centres, but things were sorted out immediately,” he said but didn’t specify the glitch-pockets citing a proper review of the statewide exercise.

In Ranchi, it was conducted at Sadar hospital and a dozen of community and primary health centres. Civil surgeon V B Prasad said that representatives of private hospitals too visited some of the centres to check the exercise as part of an exposure trip. “We didn’t face any problem at any centre. Everything was smooth,” he said.

In East Singbhum, 300 volunteers were appointed for the mega drill held at 12 spots at the privately-run Tata Main Hospital and MGM Medical College and Hospital. At each site, 25 volunteers were made to undergo the vaccination mock-drill, officials said.

East Singhbhum district civil surgeon RN Jha said the dry-run was carried out following the guidelines of Union Health Ministry to remain battle-ready for the vaccination programme against Coronavirus. “The dry-run was held at nine community health centres,” he said, adding that the idea behind the drill is to rehearse with every aspect of the vaccination work right from logistic handling to using Co-WIN application. Earlier on January 2, the dry-run was carried out at two health hubs in East Singhbhum district where 50 volunteers were engaged.

In coal capital, the drill was held across nine centres, Dhanbad civil surgeon Dr Gopal Das said, adding that the drive started at 9 am under the supervision of respective heads of the health centres and medical officers-in-charge in Nirsa, Tundi, Topchanchi, Baghmara, Baliapur, Dhanbad, Govindpur and Jharia.

Das said, “We have created all the necessary set up for vaccination at all the centres including the registration room, waiting hall, vaccination room as well as observation room. The vaccine will be administered intramuscularly. After giving the dose, all beneficiaries will be kept in the observation room for half-an-hour to monitor their condition.” Medical officer-in-charge of Sadar hospital Dr Rajkumar Singh said, “We have all the facility ready to tackle any emergency which may arise during the vaccination.”

Jharkhand has so far identified 99.89 lakh people and classified them in different priority basis for Covid-19 vaccination. In the first phase, soon after the actual rollout of the vaccine, about 1.25 lakh medical officials/staffs will be given the dose followed by others in the next priority line. In terms of logistics and manpower, the state has so far set up 275 vaccine storage points, readied 9 walk-in coolers, five ice-lined refrigerators, over 700 deep freezers, 5,505 cold boxes and 41,979 vaccine carriers.

State health minister Banna Gupta said the state government is fully prepared to undertake the vaccination programme to make Jharkhand free of Covid-19 in the coming months.