Ranchi, Jan 13 (UNI) Jharkhand's Health Minister Banna Gupta on Wednesday announced that he will take the first dose of Covid-19 injection on January 16.

Addressing a press conference at his residence here he said that amid the Coronavirus crisis the healthcare warriors have given their best leaving behind their fear due to which the state has performed excellently in the battle against Coronavirus however being the captain of the department it was his responsibility to remove any apprehensions which might be prevailing in the minds of the healthcare warriors, therefore, he had decided to take the first vaccine on January 16.

He said that the first lot of vaccines has reached the state and after 15 days another lot will come to the state.

Banna Gupta said that in the first lot 1.62 lakh dosage of Covishield vaccine has been given to the state out of which 1.31 lakh vaccines will be given to the health workers who have been identified while the remaining will be given to the army jawans and these will be sent to army camps in Ramgarh and Ranchi as per the needs.

The Health Minister said that from Wednesday itself the vaccine will be sent to every district. He said that vaccines have to be kept between a temperature of 2-8 degrees and after the first dose the second dose of Coronavirus vaccine will be given after 28 days. Banna Gupta said that for the second phase of vaccination 2.50 lakh frontline workers have been identified while for the third phase 70 lakh people have been already identified.

The minister said that for treatment of Coronavirus private hospitals were also included and even if in the vaccination process the private hospitals are needed to be involved then a serious decision will be also taken in this regard and it was at present too early to comment on the issue.

He said that vaccination should not be seen from the point of politics. His only concern was that since both the vaccine manufacturers have made their different claims over the performance of the vaccines therefore as a health minister it was his responsibility to ensure that vaccines can fulfil their roles.

He said that in the second phase whether the state will get Covishield or Covaxin is not clear as Centre will send the dose. However, whatever guideline comes from the Centre or whatever instructions are received from the Chief Minister action will be taken on it.

UNI AK RN