Six villages in Puducherry and four hamlets in Karaikal district have achieved the distinction of inoculating 100% of their 45+ population, Lt. Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan has said.
Addressing a virtual review meeting from Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad, Ms. Soundararajan, who is also Telangana Governor, said: "We should not be contented with this achievement for we have a long way to go and we should carry forward this initiative to other zones. It should be our target to achieve 100% before the upcoming Independence Day in August".
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi had commended the achievement, she said.
The Lt. Governor called for organising "Vaccine Campaign Weeks" to give a thrust to inoculation. "People should be made aware in no uncertain terms that vaccination is the only weapon available against coronavirus, and to mitigate the third wave of COVID-19, it is absolutely essential for all to be vaccinated," the Lt. Governor said.
The Lt. Governor was of the view that all health personnel in Puducherry including doctors and nurses should be vaccinated within a specified time period and arrangements need to be made accordingly.
She asked secretaries to issue circulars to the departments under their purview directing the vaccination of officers and staff. Circulars may also be sent to private organisations associated/linked with Government Departments.
The Department of Education has been asked to send text messages to teachers, staff and Parents-Teachers Associations in colleges and schools under its control.
Besides, special camps need to be organised in rural areas and elsewhere with the assistance of the District Rural Development Agency and community leaders in villages made active partners for promotion of the vaccination drive.
The Disaster Management Department should allocate funds to incentivise Self-Help Groups that create greater awareness and mobilise people for vaccination and the Health Department should formulate a scheme to vaccinate brides and bridegrooms married to Puducherry residents.
Students and workers of other States in Puducherry also to be brought under vaccine coverage, the Lt. Governor said. Already, orders had been issued to fast-track the second dose of COVID-19 vaccines to students waiting to join overseas Universities.
Chief Secretary Ashwani Kumar, Finance Secretary Ashok Kumar, LAD Secretary E. Vallavan, Health Secretary T. Arun, Information Secretary C. Udayakumar, JIPMER Director Rakesh Aggarwal and other top officials participated.
The Collector and Regional Administrators of outlying regions were also connected to the virtual meet.
