75 lakh people need booster dose in Andhra Pradesh: Officials
VIJAYAWADA: About 75 lakh people, including teenagers in the age group of 15-18, are estimated to be given the booster dose of Covid-19 vaccine in the State in the wake of Omicron threat.
Taking stock of the Covid situation in the State at a review meeting on Monday, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy directed officials to focus on administering the booster dose of the vaccine to frontline workers and people with chronic diseases and the elderly. The health and other departments should be prepared to tackle any eventuality in the wake of Omicron threat, he urged.
Private hospitals along with government hospitals should be geared up to treat the possible rise in Covid cases in the coming months.
The officials should identify unvaccinated people while conducting fever surveys in the districts and administer the Covid vaccine to them, he instructed.
The officials informed the Chief Minister that six Omicron cases were reported in the State and none was hospitalised. “Given the situation in the State, there is no need to panic, but at the same time officials should be on alert,” Jagan said, instructing them to strengthen Covid-19 surveillance.
The officials should follow the Test Early, Trace Early and Treat Early policy to face Omicron threat effectively. The arrival of people from abroad should be closely monitored. The officials should get data of foreign returnees at the ground level from village secretariats, he said.
71% fully vaccinated in AP, 99% receive 1 dose
The officials were instructed to expedite works of the new medical colleges in the State. The project should be executed in a planned manner to increase medical seats in the new colleges.
The existing 11 medical colleges should be revamped under the Nadu Nedu programme. The process of setting up of medical hubs in the State with advanced facilities in the private sector should be speeded up, he asserted.
The officials informed the Chief Minister that 98.96% of eligible beneficiaries in the State were administered the first dose of the Covid vaccine and 71.76% first and second doses.
Nellore, Vizianagaram, Prakasam, Anantapur, West Godavari, Kurnool and Chittoor districts have achieved 100% target in administering the first dose of Covid vaccine to eligible beneficiaries, they added.
Deputy Chief Minister (Health) Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas (Nani), Principal Secretary (Health) Anil Kumar Singhal, Covid Task Force Committee Chairman MT Krishna Babu, Principal Secretary (Covid Management and Vaccination) Muddada Ravichandra, Health Commissioner Katamaneni Bhaskar and other officials were present.
CM approves transfers in health department
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday gave his nod for general transfers in the health department. Officials were asked to ensure adequate staff in all government hospitals in the State and complete the recruitment process by February
