Staff Reporter :
The government has said that the people who are eligible and interested to get covid-19 vaccine in the first phase must be got registered into the vaccination program by February 5.
Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr Ahmad Kaikaus said it on Sunday.
Besides, Director General of Health Services Dr. ABM Khurshid Alam on Sunday said the government is preparing to launch the Surokkha mobile app through which people can register themselves for the vaccination programme by February 4.
Ahmed Kaikaus on Sunday said the individuals interested to receive Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine, must have to complete the registration with their names and national identity numbers by the stipulated time.
The country, however, is set to start a nationwide vaccination campaign on February 7. Prime Minister’s Assistant Press Secretary MM Imrul Kayes confirmed the news on Sunday. The Covid-19 vaccination campaign has been connected to online through the website: www.surokkha.gov.bd. on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, ABM Khurshid Alam, said “The ICT Ministry has said us that the mobile app will be available within February 4. It will be on the Google Play Store in the meantime.”
He also said that preparations to distribute the Covid-19 vaccine are also in the final stages and the doses will be delivered to all parts of the country by Monday.
The DG said, “The vaccination booths are ready. The training process is almost complete. We have a meeting today with the officials concerned of all the districts and upazilas. We will get feedback from them on the issues they are facing and take steps to resolve them.”
He assured that the health directorate and the ICT ministry will jointly assist those who cannot register online for vaccination campaign.
In such cases, the health directorate will complete the registration process with the help of local ICT offices.
“Every Upazila has access to the internet, including laptops. We have planned to designate an area to complete the registration of people who cannot apply online,” the DG said.
“Suppose, when 100 people get registered, then we will give a date for the inoculation. Registration will be completed online and our people will help the process,” he said.
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine produced in India’s Serum Institute is being used in the vaccination campaign across the country started at Kurmitola General Hospital on January 27.
A total of 26 people were inoculated on Wednesday. Five hospitals in Dhaka also administered the shots on around 500 others on Thursday.
Bangladesh received 7 million doses of the vaccine, 2 million as a gift from India free and five million as part of a contract with the Serum Institute of India.
The government plans to inoculate 80 percent of the country’s population. According to the national vaccine distribution and preparation plan, the doses will be administered in five stages under three phases.
