Bengaluru, Jan 8 (IANS): Karnataka is expected to receive 13.90 lakh vials of Covid vaccine in a day or two, state Health Minister K. Sudhakar said here on Friday.

The minister told reporters that the good news for Karnataka is that he has received information from the Union Health Ministry that on Saturday or Sunday, the state would probably receive 13.90 lakh vials of Covid vaccine.

"It's a big news for all of us," Sudhakar said after visiting a private hospital where a vaccination dry run was conducted. He added that vaccines will first be administered to healthcare workers.

"Already 6.30 lakh healthcare professionals have registered in Karnataka till date. The healthcare workers' data has already been compiled for all the government facilities. At least 80 per cent of the private health facilities have also shared their data. Those who have been left out, may be in some medical or dental colleges, we have requested them to register," he said.

The minister said that healthcare workers will be followed by those with comorbidities, those above 60 years of age and those in other departments like police and revenue working against the pandemic.

The minister added that Karnataka had already initiated measures for delivery, distribution and administration of Covid-19 vaccine whenever it arrives as advised by the Union government.

The state task force on Covid-19 had met on Tuesday and reviewed the preparations made for vaccine storage and delivery, he said.

"The government has identified 29,451 vaccination sites and 10,008 vaccinators as per the norms of the universal immunisation programme," Sudhakar said.

On the storage facilities in the state, the minister said that Karnataka has around 2,855 cold-chain points for storage and distribution of vaccines.

"With a view to have a better supply chain network and distribution of vaccines in a timely manner, three new regional vaccine stores in Bengaluru Urban, Shivamogga and Ballari have been proposed," Sudhakar observed.

He pointed out 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. The state has 10 walk-in-coolers and four walk-in-freezers. Besides this, the Union Health Ministry is going to supply three walk-in-coolers and two walk-in-freezers for which necessary civil works are being initiated," he said.

On dry storage, Sudhakar said the state needs to have dry storage space assessment for the vaccine programme.

He explained that the Union government has already allocated certain deep freezers and ice lined refrigerators as per the universal immunisation 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 are also being assessed," he said.

Karnataka successfully conducts second vaccination dry-run

Karnataka deputy chief minister, C. N. Ashwath Narayana rolled up his sleeves and asked a government hospital nurse to administer him the "first shot" of the vaccine while taking part in a nation-wide Covid-19 vaccination dry-run in different health facilities.

The incident took place when Narayana, who is also Ramanagara district in-charge minister, was at the local government hospital, to take stock of how the vaccination dry-run was conducted there.

District health officer Niranjan explained to the minister about the procedures such as, each individual after taking vaccination, must stay at least 30 minutes in an exclusive room next to the vaccination ward.

The second dry-run of Covid-19 vaccination in the state was held in 263 vaccine session sites across all districts on Friday.

It was conducted to assess the state's preparedness at all levels before the actual rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine for 6,35,986 registered healthcare workers in the first phase, said Health and Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar.

Sudhakar had said on Thursday that the union government had directed all states to take up Covid-19 vaccination on a campaign mode.

The minister also visited some facilities in Bengaluru, where the dry-run was conducted said, arrangements and preparedness were quite good, and the process is being followed as per the guidelines issued.

"The first round of the dry-run, an exercise for end- to-end testing of Covid-19 vaccination process was held in five districts of Karnataka - Bengaluru (including BBMP), Belagavi, Kalburgi, Mysore and Shivamogga- on January 2 as per the union government guidelines," he said.

This dry-run was held at 24 district hospitals, 20 medical college hospitals, 43 taluk hospitals, 31 community health centres, 87 primary health centres, 30 urban primary health care centers and 28 private health centres, the Minister explained.

He added that the union government has provided 24 lakh syringes to the state. "We have 10 walk-in coolers, four walk-in freezers, 3,201 ice-lined refrigerators (ILRs), 3,039 deep freezers, 3,312 cold boxes, 46,591 vaccine carriers and 2,25,749 ice packs. The union government has also provided 64 Large ILRs with the capacity of 225 liters each. An additional two walk-in coolers and one walk-in freezer will be received from the union health ministry soon," he said.