Telangana to vaccinate police and other frontline workers from Feb 6

Telangana is set to give the COVID-19 vaccine to police department personnel, security personnel and other frontline workers from Saturday, state Health Minister Eatala Rajender said. Addressing the media on Friday, the Health Minister said that so far, the COVID-19 vaccine was given to government and private hospital staff. “From February 6, police department and security personnel in the state will receive the vaccine. As and when the Union govt sends the vaccine and informs us of protocols around whom to give the vaccine, it is being implemented in the state,” the Minister said. 

According to the state Health and Family Welfare department’s bulletin on COVID-19 vaccinations status, as of Thursday, a total of 1,09,161 government healthcare workers, and 76,376 private healthcare workers, had received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in the state. This means that around 64% of the government healthcare workers in the state, and 49% of the private healthcare workers had been covered under the vaccination drive which began on January 16,  the bulletin said. 

Overall, a total of 1,88,097 beneficiaries in the state had received the vaccine as of Thursday, which comprises 58% of total healthcare workers who were supposed to receive the vaccine. The bulletin said that the COVID-19 vaccination will continue for private healthcare workers on February 5, and will be concluded. 

Minister Eatala Rajender also said that most hospitals in the state that had been converted to COVID-19 hospitals have gone back to providing regular services, as the caseload in the state has reduced. Speaking of the need to improve health infrastructure based on lessons learnt from the pandemic, he said that around 1,300 to 1,400 persons working in various levels in the government health care sector have been promoted and given new postings.