Vaccination center Waldeck-Frankenberg is ready for operation

The Waldeck-Frankenberg vaccination center is ready to go: Within two weeks, the district has created capacity for 1,000 vaccinations a day in the district-owned gymnasium at the Louis Peter School in Korbach - and will notify the state of Hesse tomorrow, Friday, that the facility is ready for use. As soon as the vaccine is available, operations could start.

Together with an exhibition stand builder and craftsmen from the region, as well as with the support of the city of Korbach, the disaster control department and the technical relief organization, the large sports hall "Auf der Hauer" was converted in the past few days and adapted to the special requirements: Six so-called vaccination streets were set up - that is, three parallel corridors, each with five vaccination booths on one side and five on the other. This would allow more than 70 people to be vaccinated per hour.

The plan: After registration, the vaccinated person is first asked to go to a lounge area where he or she fills out the information sheet. The medical consultation then takes place in a separate room. Once all medical questions have been clarified, the patient moves on to the booth where the actual vaccination takes place. At the last station, there is once again a waiting area for those who have been vaccinated, where they can receive medical care for a while longer if necessary to ensure that they tolerate the vaccination well.

At the center, the walkways are defined in such a way that there is as little pedestrian traffic as possible. Also, all logistical steps are planned through to ensure smooth operations: Access to the hall is through the spectator entrance from the parking lot. There is also sufficient parking space here, which is reserved specifically for the center. The exit is at the back of the hall facing Carpathian Street; a door has been specially built into the wall at the head of the hall for this purpose. The construction of a ramp at the entrance area also makes the facility barrier-free for people with limited mobility. Appropriate pathways and waiting areas with a corresponding amount of space ensure that the distance regulations are well observed.

In the area of the changing rooms and equipment and functional rooms of the hall there are storage facilities for medical supplies and protective equipment, areas for administration, organization and pharmacy activities, as well as recreation facilities for staff. In addition, a high-speed line was specially laid to connect the center to the Internet and ensure optimal data transmission. The other technical infrastructure, such as computers, printers and the like, is to be supplied by the state of Hesse in the near future. The entire site will also be monitored around the clock by a security service. The procedures are also planned in such a way that school operations at the adjacent Louis Peter School are not impaired.

The vaccination center will be operated by the district of Waldeck-Frankenberg, which has acquired the necessary personnel in the past two weeks: 50 employees - 20 from the medical and 30 from the administrative area - will ensure the operation. "For the medical area, we are working together with doctors in private practice, hospitals, retired doctors, medical practices and a pharmacy," explains Karl-Friedrich Frese, First District Commissioner and Head of the Health Department. "For the administrative area, we use employees of the district administration and also receive support from staff of the cities and municipalities, Sparkasse Waldeck-Frankenberg, Energie Waldeck-Frankenberg and Waldeckische Domanialverwaltung. We are also pleased to receive numerous voluntary offers of help from the population." If necessary, they will be happy to help.

"Implementing the entire major project and everything that goes with it is a challenge that we, together with our partners, have accomplished in record time over the past few days," says District Administrator Dr. Reinhard Kubat. "The state's operational order calls for the center to be reported ready for operation on Dec. 11. We accomplished that. Thanks to our employees, all planners, organizers, service providers, craftsmen and numerous helping hands who contributed to this." He said it was impressive to see the commitment that went into getting the center up and running in such a short time.

When the center will actually start depends on when the vaccine against the coronavirus is available, which will be provided free of charge by the federal government through the state. Currently, the county expects the vaccination center to open its doors by the end of the year at the earliest. Again, the county is waiting for the next operational order from the state to start vaccinations.