Coimbatore tops in vaccination coverage: TN Health Minister

Chennai, Sep 19 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Sunday said that the Coimbatore district topped the state in vaccinating the highest percentage of the eligible population against Covid-19.

Addressing reporters after inaugurating the second mega vaccination camp at Pollachi, he said that of the 29,27,149 population aged above 18 in the district, 75 per cent had received their first dose while 25 per cent received both doses.

The minister also said that Coimbatore administration had done well the check the number of Covid cases in the district but the presence of 13 inter-state check posts with Kerala is a matter of concern for the state.

He said that the relentless effort of the Tamil Nadu Health Department and the stringent preventive measures taken by the government in setting up check posts in the border areas with Kerala ensured that Nipah and Zikah virus could not enter the state.

Noting that even after precautions and strict measures, Kerala was reporting more than 20,000 cases a day, he said that visitors from Kerala have to show the RT-PCR negative certificate at the check posts and those without the certificate are sent back.

The minister said that the DMK government under Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin has been trying to get maximum vaccine quota allocated from the Central government. "Before the DMK government assumed office, the daily vaccination count was 61,440 but presently it is 2.49 lakh inoculations per day," he said.

Talking to IANS, Subramanian said: "We are planning to inoculate at least 15 lakh people during the mega vaccination drive on Sunday and we have a stock of 16 lakh doses of vaccines."

He also inaugurated two oxygen generators, installed at a cost of Rs 1.80 crore, at the Government hospital, Pollachi, and released a Covid-19 awareness video brought out by the district administration.

He also visited the inter-state check post at Meenakshipuram in the district to check screening of people coming from Kerala.