Tika Utsav evokes good response on the last day, 50,000 take jab

No vaccination on the first three days as stocks went dry

April 15, 2021 01:10 am | Updated 01:10 am IST - Sumit Bhattacharjee

Health matters:  Huge crowds throng the vaccination centre at KDPM High School in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.

Health matters: Huge crowds throng the vaccination centre at KDPM High School in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.

Though the first three days of the four-day Tika Utsav failed to take off, it ended on a good note with about 50,000 taking the jab on the last day, here on Wednesday.

Huge rush was seen at COVID Vaccine Centres, across the city, including at Swarna Bharathi Auditorium. However, a few senior citizens, especially those who had gone for the second dose, were disappointed, as the one that they were administered for the first was not available, wherever they had gone. “Initially, I was given Covishield, and my second dose is due, but after visiting two centres at Swarna Bharathi and Chinnawaltair, I was turned down, as Covishield was not available. For a friend of mine, it was the same case, but it was Covaxin,” said former Physical Director of Andhra University P.R. Narayanswami.

On Tuesday, the district received about 40,000 Covishield doses and on Wednesday morning it was further supplemented by another 15,000 doses of Covaxin.

The vaccines were immediately distributed to all the 160 Ward Secretariats, which have been converted as COVID Vaccine Centres, said District Collector V. Vinay Chand. According to the District Collector, the aim is to exhaust the 55,000 vaccines in the next two days and the focus is on 45 plus age group and left out frontline workers from GVMC, Revenue and Panchayat Raj.

Keeping in mind the increase in cases, the district administration has notified about 15 private hospitals to serve as category-B hospitals. “Apart from the 1,600 beds available at CSR block in KGH, VIMS and GHCCD, we have notified the private hospitals to keep about 1,000 beds ready, in case of a surge. These hospitals served us during the rapid rise in cases, last year, and they are entitled to take both COVID and non-COVID cases,” said the District Collector.

Mr. Vinay Chand said that all the private hospitals have been told to admit COVID patients with Aarogyasri card and keep the charges as prescribed in GO MS 77 and 78. “If we get a report of hospitals fleecing people unduly or not admitting patients with Aarogyasri cards, action will be initiated,” he warned.

According to him, though there is a surge and it is expected to rise till mid May, but it can be brought under control through mass inoculation. “But the inoculation depends on the supply of vaccine doses,” he said.

417 new cases, 2 deaths

District COVID Special Officer and Principal of Andhra Medical College P.V. Sudhakar said that as of now only 5% of the cases need hospital treatment and the remaining 15% are mild to moderate cases and 80% are asymptomatic, and both can be treated under home isolation. Meanwhile, cases have been increasing with every passing day. From 414 cases on Tuesday, the number increased to 417 on Wednesday taking the total tally to 66,505,

The district also recorded two deaths, in the last 24 hours, taking the total count to 562.

Meanwhile, the number of discharges has gone up to 62,726, with 249 discharges on Wednesday and the active cases have gone up to 3,217.

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