Karnataka is well prepared for COVID-19 vaccine delivery: Minister K Sudhakar
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has initiated measures for delivery, distribution and administration of the COVID-19 vaccine whenever it arrives as advised by the Centre, Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said on Tuesday.
The State Task Force on COVID-19 recently met and reviewed preparations made for vaccine storage and delivery, he said.
"The government has identified 29,451 session sites (vaccination sites) and 10,008 vaccinators as per the norms of the Universal Immunization Programme," Dr Sudhakar said in a statement.
The Health Care Workers' data has already been compiled for all the government facilities.
At least 80 percent of the private health facilities have also shared their data. Compilation of data for the remaining 20 per cent private facilities is likely to be completed in a week, the minister added.
On the storage facilities in the state, the Minister said Karnataka has around 2,855 cold chain points for storage and distribution of vaccines.
"With a view to having a better supply chain network and distribution of vaccines in a timely manner, three new regional vaccine stores Bengaluru Urban, Shivamogga and Ballari have been proposed," Sudhakar pointed out.
He opined that these newly proposed Regional Vaccine Stores will also require additional Walk-in-Coolers and Walk- in-Freezers. The assessment of the Vaccine Stores has been completed, he noted.
The state has 10 Walk-in-Coolers and 4 Walk-in-Freezers.
Further, the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India is going to supply three Walk-in-Coolers and two Walk-in-Freezers for which necessary civil works are being initiated.
"In order to have an exact assessment of the cold storage capacity required for COVID-19 vaccine programme, the number of doses in each vial, the volume of a vial, need to be assessed," Sudhakar said.
On dry storage facility, Sudhakar said the state needs to have dry storage space assessment for the vaccine programme.
He explained that the Government of India has already allocated certain deep freezers and ice lined refrigerators as per the Universal Immunization Programme norms.
Regarding the usage of animal husbandry department's facilities, the minister said in order to have adequate capacity, the cold storage facilities of the Animal Husbandry Department are also being compiled.
Further, the spare cold storage facilities available with private hospitals especially the chain hospital is also being assessed, he added.
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Bengal: Over 55 pc turnout till 1 pm in repoll in 15 booths of 2 assembly seats
Kolkata (PTI): Over 55 per cent turnout was recorded till 1 pm in repoll in 15 booths of two assembly constituencies in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Saturday, an official said.
Voting was underway more or less peacefully at 11 polling stations of Magrahat Paschim assembly constituency and four in Diamond Harbour, where the EC ordered repoll a day ago, following reports of electoral malpractices.
However, at booth number 179 at Chanda Primary School of Diamond Harbour seat, the Trinamool Congress alleged that a specially abled voter and his mother were harassed by central forces. The alleged incident sparked protests by party workers and locals.
The TMC claimed that the voter's mother, who had entered the booth to assist him, and her son were detained for a considerable time by central forces over alleged rule violations.
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"TMC leaders Manmohini Biswas and Pratik Ur Rahman reached the spot and led the protests, with residents terming the action unwarranted harassment. The matter has been taken care of by our officials there," an official of the poll body said.
Polling was otherwise peaceful across 15 booths in the area, he added.
Voting began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, the official said, adding that till 1 pm, the turnout was 55.57 per cent.
Magrahat Paschim registered 56.33 per cent voter turnout, while in Diamond Harbour, it was 54.9 per cent, a poll official stated.
Voting in these two assembly constituencies was held in the second phase of the state elections on April 29.
The repoll order was based on reports received from returning officers and observers of the two constituencies and "material circumstances", the Election Commission official said.
In Magrahat Paschim, TMC's Md Samim Ahamed Molla is pitted against BJP nominee Goursundar Ghosh, while Abdul Majid Halder of the Congress and ISF candidate Abdul Aziz Al Hassan are also in the fray.
TMC candidate Panna Lal Halder is contesting against Dipak Kumar Halder of the BJP in the Diamond Harbour seat. Goutam Bhattacharya of the Congress and CPI(M)'s Samar Naiya are among other candidates.
The BJP had alleged rampant electoral malpractices in certain polling stations of both the assembly seats under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, which is represented by TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
The EC had deputed its special observer, Subrata Gupta, to fact-check the allegations from the ground.
The poll panel will decide on repolling in the Falta assembly constituency on Saturday.
The West Bengal assembly elections were held in two phases -- April 23 and April 29 -- amid unprecedented security arrangements.
Counting of votes will take place on May 4.
