KOCHI: The district administration has set itself a target to vaccinate maximum number of elderly people before the assembly elections. With this aim, mass vaccination camps have been organised at several parts of the district. In the initial phase itself, over 120 vaccination centres, including institutions from the private sector, were identified for the mission. According to District Collector S Suhas, almost 12,000 people are currently getting vaccinated in the district on a daily basis.
“The mass vaccination centres have become operational at seven locations, including Chittoor, Angamaly, and Muvattuppuzha. Efforts are in hand by health officials to reach the target of administering 20,000 vaccine doses daily by Monday. The number of Covid cases will come down drastically once a majority of the vulnerable and the elderly in the district are vaccinated,” said Suhas.
Arrangements have been made to augment the vaccination facilities in medical colleges and district hospitals so that more people can be vaccinated daily. Around 300 vaccine doses will be given in all the medical colleges and district hospitals while 200 doses will be made available at taluk and Women and Child’s hospitals every day. As many as 100 vaccine doses will be administered at each primary health centre (PHC) and urban PHC.
“Vaccinations will be undertaken through 50 per cent spot registration and 50 per cent online registration. If the arrangements are made as planned, the hospitals under the government can meet nearly 10,000 out of the daily targeted number. If at least 5,000 people are vaccinated by the private hospitals each day, then the numbers can go further up. Vaccination camps set up at private institutions other than hospitals can facilitate another 500 daily vaccine doses,” said Suhas.
According to health officials, on Thursday alone, 12,400 senior citizens took the jab. Around 4,000 vaccinations doses were given in private hospitals. In a bid to prioritise vaccination of the elderly at old age homes, the district administration has identified 132 such homes, and 3,300 inmates. Meanwhile, the mobile unit team deployed at the Kochi airport conducted over 28,000 RT-PCR tests in 15 days.
DRIVE IN FULL SWING
Over 120 vaccination centres, including institutions from the private sector, were identified for the mass vaccination camps in the initial phase itself.
According to health officials, on Thursday alone, 12,400 senior citizens took the jab.
Around 4,000 vaccination doses were given in private hospitals.