Assuring sufficient stock of COVID-19 medicines, Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Rajeev Ranjan on Thursday said the government has sanctioned Rs 61 crore for maintaining the Covid Care Centres (CCC) in the state. He said that there is a 20-day stock of Remdesivir injection across all its hospitals and orders have been issued to procure another 200,000 vials.

In a statement issued after chairing the COVID-19 review meeting, the Chief Secretary said the government has sanctioned Rs 61 crore for Covid Care Centres and orders have been issued to District Collectors to set up the centres. According to him, COVID-19 treatment injections like Tocilizumab (400 mg), Remdesivir (100 mg), Enoxaparin (40 mg) are available in all its hospitals. He also said the government is supplying the vials to private hospitals in sufficient quantities.

Rajan said the Public Works Department has been ordered to augment the oxygen stock on war footing. He said till April 21, a total of 49.23 lakh persons have been vaccinated. The officials have been instructed to vaccinate another 10 lakh to 12 lakh by April 30. Till April 20, Tamil Nadu has got 61.85 lakh vaccine doses, he said.

On vaccine wastage, Ranjan said it has been brought down to five percent and the target is to bring it down to three percent. He said there will not be any wastage when all those who are 18 years of age are given the vaccine jab. The state government has decided to vaccinate migrant workers, construction workers, those working in markets, retail shopkeepers, state transport corporation employees, government employees, school/college teachers, auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers free of cost at special camps from May 1 onwards. According to the government, the idea is to vaccinate about 60% of the population to create herd immunity.