Meghalaya govt reviews COVID situation in the state, vaccination drive from May 14

SHILLONG:

Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, on Wednesday, said that the vaccination drive for the 18-44 age group will start from May 14, and vulnerable districts will be earmarked for more vaccines.

Speaking to reporters after a review meeting, he expressed disappointment at the low turn-out during the vaccination drive.

Tynsong said, “We were not happy to see that the vaccination drive that we have conducted till today in the entire state for the age of 45 years and above, we are yet to reach the 40 per cent mark. To be precise, till today the vaccination drive that we have done for the citizens of the state who are 45 years and above is only 37-38 per cent.”

The minister further requested the citizens to decide individually even as the government has appealed to the public to come forward for the vaccination.

Tynsong said that the government will come out with a booklet to be translated into the local language which will contain important information about the vaccination.

When asked about the reason for low turn-out, Tynsong said that it is due to apprehension on the part of the people and based on this, he said that the government has instructed the health team to aggressively explain and also convince people to get themselves vaccinated.

Responding to a query, DHS Director Aman Warr said that most of the people who died of COVID were not vaccinated against the virus, and those who were vaccinated are found to be asymptomatic. He said that people die of co-morbidity and not from COVID.

“That COVID positiveness in them did not become severe due to COVID but when we give the vaccine it does mean that your other disease is also protected, people can succumb to the other disease if they do not take care of themselves from the other diseases,” Warr said.

He further maintained that not a single case has been reported where a person has taken the vaccine and succumbed to COVID-19

Tynsong said that the Government of India has created a portal where any citizen of the state can directly register or pre-register themselves.

As for vaccine wastage in Meghalaya, Warr said that it is minimal in Meghalaya and not like in other big states. When pointed out that there was a report that Meghalaya ranked fourth in vaccine wastage, he said that it was during the initial stage.

Reviewing the bed capacity in the state, he said, “The bed capacity is more or less still manageable.”

When asked about the daily surge in COVID-19 cases, Tynsong said that the increase in cases is not due to the low turnout of vaccination adding that “Vaccination is a solution to protect individually but community spread has already taken place.” 

About the intervention of religious organizations, community or local authorities, he said that the government has been appealing to the institutions from time to time.

Some of the decisions taken after the review meeting held on May 12:

*Meghalaya will receive 42,000 vaccine doses on Thursday (May 13).

*The vaccination drive for the 18-44 age group will start from May 14, 2021.

*Vulnerable districts will be earmarked for more vaccines. For non-vulnerable districts, the Health Department will work out accordingly.

*The vaccination drive for 45 years and above currently stands at 37-38 per cent.

*The government has reviewed the bed capacity in the state and informed that there is a backup mechanism in place.

*The government is ready with 300 beds at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), of which 100 beds are equipped with oxygen concentrators.

*The TB Hospital in Umsawli has 100 beds, of which 40 beds are equipped with oxygen concentrators.

*The state recorded 406 new cases on Wednesday (May 12), with 314 recoveries. The cumulative active cases stand at 3381, of which 1968 are in East Khasi Hills and 442 are in Ri Bhoi district. There were 8 deaths reported.

(Edited by Shankar Kumar Turha)

ALSO READ: Meghalaya: Concentrate on recoveries too says Dr Aman Warr

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