'TN govt deserves highest appreciation for good work to combat COVID-19'

During his visit to Tamil Nadu to review the COVID-19 vaccination dry run on Friday, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said that Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami-led government and the state health department deserve the highest appreciation for good work that they have been doing to combat coronavirus.

Chennai (Tamil Nadu): During his visit to Tamil Nadu to review the COVID-19 vaccination dry run on Friday, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said that Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami-led government and the state health department deserve the highest appreciation for good work that they have been doing to combat coronavirus.

"I sincerely appreciate the exemplary work done by the Tamil Nadu government in collaboration with the Centre in fighting COVID-19. Tamil Nadu government and its health department deserve our highest appreciation for good work that they have been doing and are pursuing," Vardhan told reporters here.

As a nationwide dry run is being conducted across 33 states and Union Territories today, Vardhan arrived in Chennai to personally review the dry run for administering COVID-19 vaccine in Tamil Nadu.

In Chennai, the Union Minister visited the Session Site in Government General Hospital and Session Site at government Omandurar hospital.

In Chennai, Vardhan visited Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital to review the dry run for administering COVID-19 vaccine and Government Omandurar Medical College Hospital. He also inspected cold storage for COVID-19 vaccine in the city during his visit. He met Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami at Tamil Nadu Secretariat.

"Had a pleasant beginning to an important day! Thank you, Dr Vijayabaskar Ji, for the warm greetings. In Chennai to review the dry run of administering COVID-19 vaccine. The mock drill is being carried out across the country today," the Union Minister tweeted.

The dry run is aimed at testing the laid out mechanisms for COVID-19 vaccination roll-out in the health system. It will also help to assess operational feasibility of using Co-WIN application in a field environment for planning, implementation and reporting at the block, district and state level.

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According to the health ministry, the objective of the mock drill on COVID-19 vaccination is to simulate the actual vaccine administration event.COVID-19 vaccines of Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech have been granted permission by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for restricted use in an emergency situation.

Meanwhile, in Mumbai, the mock drill was conducted at BKC Jumbo dedicated COVID-19 hospital, where 25 healthcare workers have been selected for dry-run for vaccine administration.

"A total of 15 vaccination units have been set up here. 25 healthcare workers selected for today's dry-run for vaccine administration. A counsellor is appointed to counsel those fearing vaccination," said Dr Rajesh Dere, vaccination centre in-charge at BKC hospital.

The dry was conducted at the civil hospital in Punjab's Mohali, where Nodal officer, Dr Sandeep informed ANI that vaccine dry run was also conducted with 25 volunteers as per the orders given by the administration.

The second dry run for the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine is also underway at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi.

(ANI)