51 cold storage facilities ready in TN: Health Secy

As many as 51 cold-storage facilities have been kept ready across the State as per the instructions of Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, said Radhakrishnan.
For representational purposes (Photo| Shekhar Yadav)
For representational purposes (Photo| Shekhar Yadav)

CHENNAI: As the Centre gears up to roll out Covid vaccination, Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan on Tuesday inspected the cold-storage facility located at the DMS campus, to ensure all arrangements are in place. The facility can store 1.17 crore vaccine doses.

As many as 51 cold-storage facilities have been kept ready across the State as per the instructions of Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, said Radhakrishnan. Combined, they have the capacity to store nearly 2.5 crore doses. The State also has 2,880 secondary cold-storage facilities, which will be kept ready apart from the cold-storage boxes. 

TN well-prepared for vaccination programme, says Radhakrishnan

Health Department officials and District Collectors have constituted teams to inspect vaccination sites across the State, each of which must have three rooms. The teams will also check for the availability of generators at the sites. “The department is getting requests from people around 80 years of age to include them in the priority list of vaccine beneficiaries. However, as of now, health workers are given priority and the list is already prepared,” said Radhakrishnan.

He added, the front l ine workers would receive the vaccine then. However, the State will also consider prioritising the elderly simultaneously, and the same was conveyed to the Centre, the secretary said. The State has stocked up on 70 lakh needles and syringes, so that there won’t be any shortage even if the supply from the Centre is disrupted, he said. The report of the dry run had already been sent to the Union Government. “Though there were small issues during the dry run, it was successful,” he said.

The Health Department is yet to know which vaccine and how much supply of it will the State get. “Apprehensions over the safety of Covaxin would be conveyed to the Centre as and when the State receives them. Only the safe vaccine will be administered to people after clearing their doubts,” the secretary added. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu continued its downward trend in the number of fresh Covid cases, with only 820 testing positive on the day.

As many as 11 deaths were also reported, taking the toll to 12,177, and the State tally to 8,22,370. The three UK returnees who had tested positive for the new strain on Monday, are stable and doing well,said Radhakrishnan. On the star-hotel clusters in the city, he said that the positivity rate here was only less than 2.7 per cent, and there was no need to panic. As many as 8,449 samples had been drawn since December 15, of which 166 had tested positive.

Dengue, bird flu scare
The health secretary said, about one or two dengue cases had been reported and that the department was taking all steps to prevent further cases. The Collectors have also been instructed to create awareness. On the avian influenza scare, he said that vigil had been stepped up in districts. The department is checking
for incoming and outgoing birds and eggs transport. Disinfection works are also being carried out, he added.

Tamil Nadu ready to welcome Covid vaccine
The State has stocked up on 70 lakh needles and syringes, so that there won’t be any shortage even if the supply from the Centre is disrupted, he said. The report of the dry run had already been sent to the Union Government. “Though there were small issues during the dry run, it was successful,” he said. The Health Department is yet to know which vaccine and how much supply of it will the State get.

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