Chief Secretary for Health, Medicine and Family Welfare Anil Kumar Singhal said the government will reach out to anyone to receive the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“District collectors have been instructed to schedule vaccination trips to specific centers when due, and to reach beneficiaries through door-to-door visits by community and village volunteers, text messaging and public announcements,” he told the media on Sunday.
Mr Singhal said the authorities concerned had been asked to make it clear that only those who had been informed should visit the vaccination center on the scheduled date in order to avoid the onslaught. “The center has allowed the state to use the doses it bought to vaccinate people over the age of 45. Changes to the CoWin app to make this possible will be made in two days. The state has bought 3.5 lakh cans of Covishield and 1.42 lakh cans of Covaxin. These will be used to vaccinate the 45+ group once the CoWin app has been changed, ”Singhal said.
Weighting for contract agents
The contract agents working in the COVID facilities receive a 5% benefit on government exams for every six months of service, and the government has issued orders to do so, he said. The state has 6,870 intensive care beds and 23,259 oxygenated beds in 637 COVID hospitals, most of which are occupied. More beds will be added as the process of registering the reported COVID hospitals under Aarogyasri begins, Singhal said. According to the center’s revised allocation of medical oxygen, the state received 561 tons last day, he added.