Page 81 - Covid 2021 June 2021

AYUSH doctors are institutionally qualified professionals, well trained in various aspects of medical care. They have already proven their competence in various COVID-19 management roles in different institutions across the country. Some of the institutions under the Ministry of AYUSH like the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi which functions as a COVID -19 Care Centre, are efficiently managing COVID-19 cases at present. Further, States/ UTs have trained nearly 1.06 lakh AYUSH professionals in different aspects of COVID-19 management, and 28,473 professionals have been deployed for COVID-19 activities. Training to AYUSH professionals in different aspects of COVID-19 management was also provided by the Ministry of AYUSH through the Integrated Government Online Training (iGOT) digital platform (https://igot.gov.in/), and 66045 AYUSH professionals completed the same. In addition, the Ministry of AYUSH and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare have jointly provided training to 33,000 AYUSH master trainers. Thus, a large number of AYUSH professionals have already been prepared through various efforts to take up frontline tasks in the fight against the pandemic. Details of about 8.32 Lakhs of AYUSH manpower have been compiled through the initiatives of the Ministry of AYUSH and provided on the Covid Warriors portal (covidwarriors.gov.in).
Website link:
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1716918
Government augmenting manufacturing capacity for COVAXIN
production under Mission COVID Suraksha
Under Atmanirbhar Bharat 3.0 Mission COVID Suraksha was announced by the Government of India to accelerate the development and production of indigenous COVID-19 vaccines. This is being implemented by Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India at Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), New Delhi.
As a part of this augmentation plan, capacities of Bharat Biotech Limited, Hyderabad as well as other public sector manufactures are being upgraded with required infrastructure and technology. Financial support is being provided as grant from GoI to the tune of approximately Rs. 65 crore to Bharat Biotech’s new Bengaluru facility which is being repurposed to increase the capacity of vaccine production.
The following three public sector companies are also being supported to increase the capacity of vaccine production.
1. Haffkine Biopharmaceutical Corporation Ltd, Mumbai-a State PSE under State Government of Maharashtra.
Financial support of Rs. 65 Crore as grant from GoI is being provided for this facility to make it ready for manufacturing. The facility will have a capacity of 20 million doses per month, once functional.
2. Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), Hyderabad – A facility under National Dairy Development Board is being provided a grant of Rs. 60 crore.
3. Bharat Immunologicals and Biologicals Limited (BIBCOL), Bulandshahr a CPSE under Department of Biotechnology, Government of India is being supported with a grant of Rs. 30 crore to prepare their facility to provide 10-15 million doses per month.
Further, Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre, Department of Science and Technology, Government of Gujarat along with Hester Biosciences and OmniBRx has also firmed up its discussions with Bharat Biotech to scale up the COVAXIN technology and to produce
VIGYAN PRASAR 78