Dhaka, Jan 25 – No one will be allowed to receive Covid-19 vaccine doses without online registration, says the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).“Now we won’t go for inoculation beyond this app (online application). We won’t allow anyone without online registration,” said DGHS DG Abul Bashar Mohammed Khurshid Alam at a press briefing over Covid-19 vaccination at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
Explaining the reasons behind the online registration, he said the government will preserve and compile the data of vaccine recipients for using that for analyses.
Khurshid Alam also said they encourage the vaccine recipients to get both doses of Covid-19 vaccine from the same vaccination centre.
If the option is kept open to receive the first dose and the second one from two separate centres, there is a possibility of waste of some doses, he said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will open the Covid-19 vaccination programme on January 27 next.
The vaccination programme will first start at five centres in the capital. Some 100 people will be vaccinated at each centre on January 28 and 29. The inoculation will then start across the country in the first week of February.
State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak said a team of ICT Division developed the Covid-19 Vaccine Management System ‘Surokkha’ software with support from PMO’s a2i programme, Bangladesh Computer Council and the DGHS.
“We’re handing over the Surokkha software to the DGHS today,” he said.
To get registered for vaccination, one will have to do that through www.surokkha.gov.bd, said the state minister.
About the registration process, he said one will have to provide one’s NID number, date of birth, mobile number, and information of comorbidities, profession and engagement in the Covid-19 activities in the online registration form.
The registration will have to be completed with a one-time-password (OTP) to be texted to mobile phone.
After the registration, the person concerned will have to collect the vaccination card from the portal. The date and the centre for vaccination will be texted to the mobile number of the registered person.
Upon receiving the two shots, the person will be able to download a vaccination certificate from the portal.
Joining the briefing virtually, PM’s Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus said the vaccine has been procured at the lowest price compared to any market outside India.
If any problem arises with the online registration software, he suggested the team concerned to stay ready to modify it for making it a user-friendly one.
Additional Director General of DGHS Meerjady Sabrina Flora said pregnant women, children and those who have Covid-19 positive will not be given the vaccine. There is no enough information over the vaccine impacts on pregnant women and children, she added.
ICT Senior Secretary NM Zeaul Alam and Health Services Secretary Abdul Mannan and PMO Secretary Tofazzel Hossain Miah were present. – UNB
