3rd mega vax drive: TN targets 15L doses today
CHENNAI: The State Health Department is targetting to inoculate 15 lakh people during the third mega vaccination drive that is scheduled for Sunday, Health Minister Ma Subramanian said on Saturday. Tamil Nadu, which has vaccinated more than 4.19 crore people as on Saturday, is expected to touch five crore doses soon, the Minister added.
During the mega drive, 20,000 sites would administer the vaccines, Subramanian said, adding health department officials across Tamil Nadu are prepared to conduct the vaccination camps. The available vaccine stock has been distributed to all districts, and Chief Minister MK Stalin has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressing the need to allocate 50 lakh vaccine doses a week to Tamil Nadu to cover the eligible population at the earliest.
“Although the target is to vaccinate 15 lakh people at the mega vaccination drive tomorrow, it is expected that 20- 25 lakh doses will be administered. This will make it possible to cross the 60 per cent mark,” he added.
Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan has instructed all district administration authorities to administer as many vaccines as possible each day, he said.
“In Tamil Nadu, 22 lakh people have received the first dose of the vaccine and are waiting for the second dose. These people should come forward to get inoculated at the vaccination camps in the nearby localities and complete their vaccination course,” said the Health Minister, noting that second doses of both Covaxin and Covishield are available. He also stressed that those with hypertension, diabetes and those above 60 years of age should get vaccinated immediately.
In Tamil Nadu, 56 per cent of the eligible population have received the first dose and about 17 per cent of people have been vaccinated with the second dose.
So far, 4.17 crore doses have been administered at government hospitals in Tamil Nadu, while private hospitals have administered 24.47 lakh doses. “So far, 4.41 crore doses have been given in Tamil Nadu. As more people get vaccinated, we will soon be able reach 5 crore inoculations,” said the Health Minister.
Meanwhile, Minister Subramanian handed over the insurance cards under Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS) to the beneficiaries at an event organised to celebrate the anniversary of the launch of the scheme in Tamil Nadu and the introduction of the 108 emergency service.
He said that 1.58 crore families with an annual income of less than Rs 72,000 have been included in the insurance scheme. The testing and treatment for COVID have been included in the scheme, and a coverage of Rs 106.51 crore has already been provided. The scheme also covers patients affected by mucormycosis.
Talking about 108 emergency vehicle, he said the service, which has a fleet of 1,303 vehicles, have benefitted about 1.17 crore people in the country. He added that 188 new emergency vehicles are to be procured to strengthen the service in the coming days.