Maharashtra awaits mobile app from Centre to upload data of health workers for COVID-19 vaccination

With no particular vaccine approved yet, the specification for storage still remains unclear. Meanwhile, the central government has assured 150 deep freezers to boost storage capacity along with walk-in refrigerators, walk-in coolers and large and small sized iced line refrigerators to store vaccine doses. Districts have already started monitoring available logistics for storage.

Since then, the Maharashtra government is waiting for a mobile app named Covin, from the Centre to initiate the process of registering names of healthcare workers for COVID-19 vaccination.

As per the recent update, it is said the app will be ready by late next week following which districts will be asked to start uploading data on healthcare workers, from both public and private hospitals, in their jurisdictions.

Each healthcare worker will be tracked for vaccine dose, repeat dose and vaccine schedule through the app. The process of creating a list of healthcare workers in excel sheet has already begun. The entire data will be fed into the app and will be accessible to the immunization officers through a central portal.

However, in primary health centres, a record of iced line refrigerators is being made, and maintenance work is also being carried out to remain prepared for future storage. According to reports, once the vaccine specifications are finalised, they will begin preparation for maintaining the right temperature for the deep freezers.

The health ministry plans to utilise the first batch of vaccines to immunise healthcare workers treating COVID-19 patients, followed by frontline workers like the police force. On Monday, the ministry informed state governments that the app is in its final stage of coding and will soon be provided to maintain data of health workers.

Earlier last month, the state government had taken a call to only include health workers involved in COVID-19 treatment in public and private hospitals. Though, after the Indian Medical Association (IMA) reached out to the state government, a decision to expand the free vaccination to the rest of the private sector was taken. Private doctors have been asked to upload their details on the vaccine database website and submit their information to district civil surgeons before November 12.