Goemkarponndesk
PANAJI: With a larger number of deaths occurring among non-vaccinated people in the current third wave of COVID19, the State government has appealed to beneficiaries to get them immunized at the earliest.
Chief Minister also said that most of the COVID-related deaths in the current wave include those non-vaccinated.
As per State Immunization Officer, 98 percent of the eligible population is fully vaccinated in Goa. However, the response to the booster Bose jab is very poor as so far, only 10% have taken the shot.
Today, the Chief Minister, Dr Pramod Sawant, held a COVID review meeting along with Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, District Collectors, Chief Secretary, Dean GMC, Director Health and Immunization officer.
Addressing media person post-meeting, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant stressed the need to vaccinate all.
He said that most of the COVID related deaths in the current wave include those non-vaccinated.
He also said that of the total 16 critical patients, 13 have not taken even a single dose.
Sawant said that health officers are in touch with the non-vaccinated people, appealing to them to come forward and take their vaccine shot.
“Even the response to booster dose is poor. He said that senior citizens and other beneficiaries need to take their booster shot,” he said.
As far as possible, the economic activity in the state should not be stopped, although people need to follow certain restrictions that have been put up, Sawant said.
He said political parties were asked to desist from holding large public meetings in poll-bound states.
As many opt for self-testing, Sawant said that data is not uploaded as patients don’t do it in such cases. He said that health officials cannot monitor such patients, and no kit is also provided.
The government, through FDA, will make pharmacies keep a record of all those buying self-testing kids and provide the same to the health department.
On vaccination, Immunization officer Dr Rajendra Borkar said that only 10% of the eligible population so far have taken their #Booster Jab, the majority of whom are senior citizens. He said that frontline health workers are not coming forward.
Further, Borkar said that 8% of beneficiaries are Fully Vaccinated while 110 per cent have got one shot.
Also, 75% of children in the age group of 15-18yrs have taken their first vaccine shot.
He said that people have various reasons not to get vaccinated.
GMC Dean Dr Shivanand Bandekar said that GMC has started identifying not vaccinated patients and insists they get vaccinated.