As the nation kickstarted the biggest vaccination drive, Covid vaccination kickstarted in Telangana also on Saturday with healthcare workers taking the first shot at 139 centers across the state. The first recipient of the covid vaccine shot in Telangana was a female sanitation worker at Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad.
She took her first vaccine shot in the presence of state health minister EatalaRajender. Other officials including G. KishanRedy, the Union Minister of State for Home, and Somesh Kumar, the Chief Secretary were present at the program launch at Gandhi Hospital.
The vaccination drive began after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the country to formally launch the program. PM’s address was telecasted live at all the centers. Around 4,000 healthcare workers in government-run facilities will receive the first vaccine shot on Saturday.
Arrangements have been made by the health authorities to vaccinate the beneficiaries at 139 centers spread across the state. In light of the occasion, the centers set up at major government hospitals and primary health centers were spruced up. State ministers lit the lamp at various centers to formally inaugurate the program which was attended by MPs, MLAs, MLCs, and other public representatives.
While a maximum of 30 beneficiaries will be vaccinated at each center on Saturday, Director of public health G. Srinivas Rao informed that the numbers will be ramped up in phases from Monday and in coming days it will reach the maximum level of 100 beneficiaries per-center.
Furthermore, the program would be conducted at all the 1,213 centers in the next few days depending upon the availability of the doses. So far, the state has received around 3.74 lakh doses from Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry. The vaccine doses are stored at 2-8-degree temperature and 50,000 doses have already been transported to the districts.
The majority of beneficiaries will comprise staff from sanitation and security wings of teaching, district hospitals, area hospitals, and ASHA, Anganwadi, and other workers at primary health centers during the first few days of the vaccination drive.3.15 lakh healthcare workers have been identified by the state healthcare authorities in government and private institutions. The beneficiaries were registered on the Co-Win application. Co-Win has been specially developed for Covid vaccination.
It is reported that the Covid vaccine will be given between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday while routine vaccination for children and women will continue every Wednesday and Saturday. On Sundays and public holidays, there will be no vaccination.
The authorities reassured that both the covid vaccines Covishield and Covaxin approved for emergency use by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGIwere safe and that there is no need for any apprehensions.
