WCVC, Udaygiri.

Introduction:-

Countries around the world are racing against time to vaccinate their populations against the coronavirus.

Today, speed is the sole criteria. The quicker the better.
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Not enough jabs

To cover its entire adult (over 18 years) population, India needs 1.9 billion doses of vaccines. If these vaccines were to be administered over the next 12 months, India would need 161 million doses each month, or 5.4 million doses each day.

At present, India produces only about 2.5 million doses per day.
At the present rate, India would be able to cover only 30 per cent of its population by early 2022.
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Railway effort at Bhubaneswar

So when India (and BMC) started its vaccination program on the 16th January ( Saturday) we in ECOR HQ moved in very fast. We are ready with not one but two Infrastructures: one at the Central Hospital and the other at the Udaygiri, of Rail Sadan.

( A challenging situation, in the face of shortage of hospital manpower given the covid surge in the hospital and covid positive among the hospital staff.)
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A Covid Vaccination Center ( CVC) in Bhubaneswar has to be registered with BMC. Apart from separate manpower for identification, Verification, Data Entry and lastly Vaccination of eligibles, the centre should be equipped to take care of any of the 100 vaccine related adverse events: AEFI that can happen during vaccination. A BMC team inspects the centre before according approval.

Central Hospital with its experience of Pediatrics Immunisation program since the inception, had no problem getting the nod.

But we actually scored the brownie points when we got the nod for the Workplace CVC ( WCVC) at the Udaygiri Hall of Rail Sadan. We have to make all provisions for managing any reaction on site and shifting the patient if needed. An ambulance and a hospital has to be *mapped* to any WCVC away from a hospital.

We had started our WCVC on 11/4/21 coinciding with the Tika Utsav at Udaygiri.
Unfortunately, after only 353 doses, we ran out of the number of eligible employees among 45+ at the Rail Sadan and have to close the centre.
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A stroke of Luck.

When vaccination in the age group of 18-44 started, we are the only organizational set up that is approved as Government ( Free) CVC among the 26 center of BMC.
Our facilitation was so good that Railway center was oversubscribed. Young men from Rourkela are booking a slot here and armed with the appointment slip traveling to BBS for vaccination.

Soon it was found out that our beneficiaries cannot outsmart the public at large. After all, Booking a vaccine appointment is more like a *video game in which the fastest finger wins not the most eligible*.
…

Our facilitation was so good that Railway center was oversubscribed. Young men from Rourkela are booking a slot here and armed with the appointment slip traveling to BBS for vaccination.

Soon it was found out that our beneficiaries cannot outsmart the public at large. After all, Booking a vaccine appointment is more like a *video game in which the fastest finger wins not the most eligible*.
…

…
An ace up the sleeve

With lateral thinking, we revived our WCVC at Udaygiri for 45+ to include 18+ also.

It was the most nerve wracking 48 hours. 18-44 vaccination via COWIN app at the community hall, Rail Vihar has started on the very first day in the country: *3rd of May.* ( 1st and 2nd May declared as shut down days)

48 hours gone. 400 doses injected by our staff at the community hall. But only 18 railway employees could take the jab. If this trend continues we shall be vaccinating the whole state except our beneficiaries.

We also had one extra set of manpower and infrastructure idling alm the while. That is suicidal in view of the covid constraint.

With scarcity of vaccine looming large, our hope of a “walk-in Registration facility for Railway beneficiaries” was fading fast.

Then the phone rang.

On 5th of march, around 10.30 am, my phone rang. Not from BMC.
It was the Vaccine Depot Manager of North Bhubaneswar.

“Sir, I have already sent the morning quota of vaccine for the Community hall at 8:30. But I had *one more consignment of 100 doses* lying with me addressed to Railway WCVC. Where is this WCVC ?” She asked.

I could not believe my ear. If she delivers it to its registered address ( Udaygiri hall) it will be a disaster.

” I shall collect it.” said I.
“Who will give me the report ?” she was worried. Her job is envious.

( When a new CVC is registered, it is also mapped to a Vaccine Depot. The COWIN app allotts vaccine to the Depot. The number of vaccines administered is counted by the app real time. Immediately after the session, an excel sheet has to be updated by the depot manager: Number of vials issued, number of vials returned: used, unused. The number vaccinated, the number of vials returned has to match online. The App records the *Vaccine wastage factor* as available online. That is one hell of a responsibility. No wonder she was a worried woman.)

Thanks to DGM and his unit and signal people who could arrange the electronic infrastructure at a very, very short notice. Accounts department has already submitted a vaccinee list. ( All the sister departments gave us whole hearted support, Security etc.)

So
At 11.30 am of 5/5, 18+ vaccination of railway beneficiaries started at the community hall by passing the App. 104 railway beneficiaries were vaccinated. That is -4% vaccine wastage*. We have exceeded by 4 extra shots.

Sometimes statistics are quite revealing.

For example:

On 5th May of 2021, in the community hall of Rail Vihar,
at the Cowin App allotted vaccination desk: out of 200 doses, only *5* employees and *21* beneficiaries got the jab. 159 non railway citizens took the shot while we have to *return* 15 doses. The system counts it. You can’t tinker with it

In the next table of WCVC, *53* employees and *51* beneficiaries got the jab. *Wastage factor -4%.* Far ahead of the country’s performance and even ahead of the state.

Thus we could vaccinate 58 Employees and 72 beneficiaries on the first Day of *WCVC, Udaygiri.*