BENGALURU: The State COVID Task Force on Saturday decided that the available stock of COVID vaccine Covaxin will be given on priority to those who have completed six weeks after taking the first shot.
To avoid spreading of infection at vaccination venues, the shots will be administered outside primary health centres (PHCs) and places like school grounds. The second dose of Covishield will be given to only those who have completed 12 weeks from the first dose and those who are above 45 years old, the task force decided.
New app
On vaccinating the 18-44 age group, Deputy Chief Minister and State Covid Task Force Chairman Dr CN Ashwath Narayan said that a new app needs to be developed that will be interfaced with CoWin App.
The vaccination schedule will be prepared after taking into account the availability of vaccines. Priority will be given to those working in the postal department, agricultural department, bank employees, internet service providers and street vendors, he said.
Global tender
The task force approved Rs 843 crore to procure two crore doses of vaccines by floating global tenders, which will be split into four parts of Rs 50 lakh each. This is to help the government procure vaccines from different firms at the earliest, the Deputy Chief Minister said.
Other decisions taken by the task force include for each bed, Rs 10 will be given to facilitate disposal of waste in government hospitals, medical kits to be given to patients referred by private doctors, approval to procure medicines and other consumables required for the next 90 days at Rs 260 crore and floating of a global tender to procure 5 lakh Remdesivir injections and allocating Rs 75 crore for the purpose.
To treat patients suffering from black fungal infection, the State has decided to ask the Centre to provide 20,000 vials of the required drug.
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike to be relieved of health management
The State COVID Task Force, headed by Deputy Chief Minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan, on Saturday decided to review the health management system in Bengaluru, which is currently under the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and decided to merge it with the Health and Family Welfare Department.
The DyCM said a committee will be constituted to look into technical issues involved and the report will be discussed at the next task force meeting. He said that 100-bed secondary hospitals will be set up in each Assembly constituency in Bengaluru and one tertiary care hospital for every four constituencies.