Assam Health Department to Facilitate Special COVID-19 Vaccination In Tea Garden, Prisons & Homes
Modified SOP for 18+ COVID-19 Vaccination
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Assam State Health Department has decided to facilitate the COVID-19 vaccination for onsite registration and appointment for the people of 18-44-year age group in the government vaccination centres, only for time being. This is exclusively for the tea garden areas that don't have access to smartphones for appointment/slot booking. However, there won't be any onsite registration and appointment for this group of people in the urban areas.
The people in many assam tea gardens have no identity documents like AADHAAR cards, PAN cards etc. In tea garden areas, both permanent and temporary workers are eligible for vaccination. The garden management will provide the lists of labourers for vaccination and the district health officers will compare the lists.
In many areas, people don't have smartphones. Considering all such hurdles, the State Government has brought changes in its SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) with permission from the Union Ministry of Home and Family Welfare.
According to the modified SOP, apart from the tea garden areas, the district authorities will conduct special vaccination drives in prisons, old-age homes, mental health institutions and rehabilitation centres for the 18+ age group. For this, the district immunisation officers will look into the special vaccination drives and prepare the vaccination schedules. Prior information will be given for such vaccination drives, and guidelines will have to be followed to avoid crowds. The modified SOP has made it a point that the vaccination schedules will be prepared only after the vaccine stock update. The modified SOP doesn't allow any private vaccination centre for onsite vaccination.
Village headmen and ASHA workers will mobilize villagers for special vaccination drives.