Family Welfare Department of Uttar Pradesh has taken a big step by cancelling all the leaves of officers and employees of the Directorate General, in view of "proposed COVID-19 vaccination in the months of December 2020 and January 2021, during which their cooperation is needed."
These include doctors, nurses, contract workers and daily wage workers. An order in this regard has been issued by the Director-General of Medical, Health and Family Welfare.
According to the order, the leaves of all officers and employees of the Medical and Health Department have been canceled till January 31 next year except this month.
At the same time, the officers and employees on leave have been instructed to contribute to their duty at their office from December 16.
In the first phase, frontline workers- doctors, paramedics, hospital staff including those from private as well will be given the vaccine. We have identified around 23,000 people for vaccination in the first phase in Gorakhpur, said Chief Medical Officer of Gorakhpur District Hospital Dr Shrikant Tiwari.
Pharmaceutical companies Pfizer India, Serum Institute of India (SII), and Bharat Biotech have already applied to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) seeking emergency use authorisation of their respective COVID vaccines.