Geared up to support government in COVID-19 vaccination drive: Apollo Hospitals

NEW DELHI: Apollo Hospitals on Thursday said it is geared up to administer up to 10 lakh COVID-19 vaccines a day to support the government in its target of crossing 500 million vaccines by July this year.

The healthcare major has been so far able to administer the COVID-19 vaccines to over 1 lakh people since the start of the second phase of the vaccination drive.

In the second phase, the vaccine is being administered at more than 60 Apollo vaccination centres across to people over 60 years of age and those over 45 years of age with co-morbidities, Apollo Hospitals said in a statement.

"The COVID-19 vaccination programme is critical for bringing the COVID-19 pandemic to an end."

"We are proud to have achieved an important milestone today of administering the COVID-19 vaccine to over 1 lakh people that include our vulnerable senior citizens," Apollo Hospitals Group Joint Managing Director Sangita Reddy said.

A robust vaccination program is the need of the hour, and Apollo is glad for this opportunity to support and boost the government's efforts in ensuring that no eligible person is left out of the COVID-19 vaccine programme, she added.

The vaccination programme for those most vulnerable comes at a crucial time when many states are reporting a rise in cases after a period of lull, Reddy noted.

"Ensuring that everyone is able to get easily vaccinated as the program expands to other age groups is of critical importance in the battle against COVID-19.

"At Apollo Hospitals, we are fully geared up to administer up to 1 million COVID vaccines a day to support the Government in achieving its target of administering 500 million vaccines by July 2021," she added.

The smooth roll-out of the vaccination programme across the Apollo Hospitals group is the culmination of months of preparation that included readying the infrastructure, training programs for staff, dry runs, and coordination with the government, the healthcare provider noted.

This has enabled an efficient and smooth roll-out at the vaccination centres with trained healthcare personnel administering the vaccines with the highest safety standards, it added.

"As the COVID-19 vaccine programme continues to expand and cover more people, Apollo Hospital is ready to play an integral role in ensuring its success," it said.