Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan reviews COVID-19 vaccination dry run in Chennai
Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan Friday visited Chennai's Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital to review the dry run for administering the Covid-19 vaccine. The second nationwide dry run on the Covid 19 vaccination is being held today in 736 districts across 33 states and Union Territories. The dry run will also familiarise the state, district, block, and hospital-level officers on all aspects of vaccine rollout.
Harsh Vardhan was accompanied by Tamil Nadu Health Minister Dr. C Vijayabaskar at the Chennai's General Hospital. While addressing the media, Vardhan said, "In a short time, India has done well by developing vaccines. In the next few days, in the near future, we should be able to give these vaccines to our countrymen. It will be given to our healthcare professional followed by frontline workers."
India's drugs regulator has approved Oxford COVID-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute, and the indigenously-developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country.
It paves the way for the rollout of at least two vaccines in the country in the coming days.
The union minister also said, "We've ensured that every detail is conveyed to the people from the national level to the grassroots level. Lakhs of healthcare workers trained and the process continues."
The first round of dry run was held across the country on January 2. "On January 2nd, we did a dry run in almost 125 districts in the country, and today, we are doing it across the country except for the three states who did it earlier," he added.
The union minister requested the NGOs working in the field of health to help in the smooth conduct of the Covid-19 vaccination program and mobilisation of beneficiaries in the best possible manner.
