Shortage forces a stop in Telangana's vaccination drive

Naveen S Garewal 
Tribune News Service 
Hyderabad, April 18

After running out of vaccines, the Telangana Government has been forced to halt the vaccination drive. The health department confirmed that there was no vaccination was given on Sunday. If the state gets supplies of the vaccine, then it hopes to resume the vaccination on Monday. Most big hospitals in the state capital Hyderabad said they had so far not received any fresh consignment. 

Telangana Public Health Director Dr G Srinivasa Rao said that the state was experiencing a shortage of vaccine for the past two days. Addressing the media, Rao said that the state has administered around 28 lakh vaccine doses so far, of which around 25 lakhs were the first dose.  

 “We are able to vaccinate around 1.5 lakh people per day. By the end of June, all targeted population can be reached,” he said. The state government intends to vaccinate around 1 crore beneficiaries by the end of June.  

The Public Health Director asked people to strictly follow COVID-19 protocol till June and to adhere to health department advisories.  

Meanwhile, people continue to violate the COVID protocol by staying without masks, even as the state government has imposed a challan of Rs 1,000 on those found without masks. In Hyderabad after announcing all four-wheeler drivers to wear a mask even when alone, the police have started taking checking easy, reportedly under political pressure. 

In northern Telangana city of Nizamabad, sanitation workers were reportedly slapped and threatened by two men, who were asked to wear a mask. The incident was caught on video by another sanitation staff member, who was inside the municipal sanitation vehicle. But so far, no action has been taken against the culprits, which has greatly demoralised the sanitation workers. 

House owners have started putting up hoardings saying “Daya chesi maa intiki raakandi, me intiki raanivvakandi” (Please don’t come to our house, don’t allow us to come to yours). Such board have been seen in Padmashali colony in Hyderabad.  

Telangana has recorded its the largest surge of Covid cases and fatalities since the pandemic started last year with authorities reporting 5,093 new cases and 15 fatalities in the past 24 hours. 

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