TIRUCHY: Reminding the public of the importance of vaccination against COVID-19, Health and Family Welfare Secretary Dr J Radhakrishnan here on Saturday pointed out that as many as 49 lakh people above the age of 18 in the State are yet to take a single dose of the vaccine.
About 1.37 crore people have missed their second dose, he added, and urged them to take the jab.
Inspecting new equipment at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) here in the morning, Dr Radhakrishnan said that with COVID-19 cases on the decline, people have thrown caution to the wind and don't feel the need to get vaccinated.
"We were able to handle the third wave (of the pandemic) so effectively because people were vaccinated. That's why deaths were also low then. I urge people to come forward and get vaccinated. People should continue to wear masks and maintain physical distance, especially in crowded and closed spaces," the health secretary said.
The focus now is on virus suppression, he added. Dr Radhakrishnan also visited a patient who recently underwent renal transplantation at the hospital.
Organs were harvested from a 55-year-old brain-dead man from Ariyalur and donated, including to the aforementioned patient. The health secretary extended gratitude to the family of the deceased for donating the organs.
The official said, "Focus is now on non-Covid care. We need to bring back services to pre-Covid levels. I hope more people come forward for organ donation. As per TRANSTAN (Transplant Authority of TN) records, over 6,000 patients await a kidney, 314 a liver, 40 a heart, 28 lungs, and two pancreas."
He had earlier inspected a new digital mammogram, digital fluoroscopy, and a new ICU ward at the hospital.MGMGH dean Dr K Vanitha, medical superintendent Dr E Arun Raj, resident medical officer Dr Chitra Thiruvalluvan, nephrology HoD Dr Balamurugan, and anaesthetist Dr Ilangovan, were among those present.