TN targets 15 lakh doses during tomorrow’s mega vax drive

Tamil Nadu has not received adequate doses of vaccines as expected for the mega vaccination drive scheduled on Sunday, but the Health Department would go ahead with the drive as planned, said Health Minister Ma Subramanian here on Friday.

“The target is to vaccinate 15-20 lakh people, as we will have only about 20 lakh vaccine doses in stock and three lakh doses will be used up by then. But we will go ahead with the vaccination drive,” said Minister Subramanian. During the first mega vaccination camp held last Sunday, the State inoculated more than 28 lakh people.

Talking about the surge in COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu for past few days, Health Minister Subramanian said that the numbers would reduce in the coming days. There were no major clusters in the city, he added, while speaking to the media after inaugurating a suicide prevention week programme at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), in Kilpauk.

“The institute will be upgraded with all facilities to develop it as India’s major psychological research centre and hospital. Currently, a large number of patients who have got treated and discharged don’t have a place to go. The hospital is spread across 47 acre campus, of which more than 20 acre are empty. These people are engaged in growing vegetables that can be sent to other government hospitals, and these people can gain from it,” he said.

Talking about suicide prevention in the State, he said people were taking rat poison and poison-mixed cow dung powder to die by suicide. “We are planning to ban the manufacture of poison mixed in cow dung,” he said. He advised traders not to sell these poisons if any person comes alone to buy it; instead, sell it only if the buyers come in group, he said.

Meanwhile, the Greater Chennai Corporation said city residents may contact 044 25384520, 044 46122300 for details of the camps near them. “The plan is to conduct static and mobile camps to cover 1,600 locations,” it said in a statement.

The Greater Chennai Corporation said city residents may contact 044 25384520, 044 46122300 for details of vaccination camps near them