Hyderabad: As part of its ongoing vaccination drive to combat COVID-19, the Telangana government will vaccinate over six lakh people from identified from high exposure categories in the Hyderabad and Warangal municipalities, and other urban local bodies in the next four days. Under it, three lakh auto drivers and 50000 imams, pujaris and pastors are also slated to get the vaccine.
The decision to vaccinate different groups with the COVID-19 vaccine was taken during a meeting conducted by state finance minister T. Harish Rao, chief secretary Somesh Kumar, and other officials. The meeting was held based on the directions of chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
Harish Rao, during he meeting, directed officials to conduct vaccination of the remaining 6 lakh persons from identified from high exposure categories in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Greater Warangal Municipal, and all other urban local bodies in Telangana, over the next four days. The state has been undertaking such vaccine drives over the past few weeks.
The priority vaccine drive aims to vaccinate 16,000 dialysis and Thalassemia patients, three lakhs auto and cab drivers in urban local bodies, 25,000 engineering staff working in all departments, 45,000 field staff working in the power sector, 5,000 field level employees in agriculture department, 30,000 field staff of revenue earning departments, 15,000 bank employees in districts, 13,000 postal employees, 60,000 public representatives of urban and rural local bodies, and others. .
During the meeting, it was also noted that payment has been made to suppliers for 16 lakh doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, which has however not yet been supplied. Hence, it was also decided to appoint a Special Officer to pursue the matter and ensure that receipt of this stock was expedited, said a press release from the Telangana government on Wednesday.
Prior to this, the state government also undertook a special COVID-19 vaccination drive in the GHMC area for taxi and auto drivers, journalists and other categories of people under the ‘high exposure’ category.