According to estimates (based on census figures and data from the National Family Health Survey-5) Telangana has 79 lakh of people over the age of 50, which is one of four categories of beneficiaries. State health authorities set the number of people above 50 at around 67 lakh and the number of beneficiaries could be between 80 and 85 lakh.
The Center has assigned doses of Rs 1.6 million to Telangana, most likely to come in stages. State health authorities, however, are preparing to have the capacity to store the full 1.6 crore doses in one go.
“From now on, we know how many doses will be delivered in the first batch. Initially, we were asked to prepare the list of health workers first, which we did. As for the front-line workers of the police, the panchayat raj and the municipal administration department, there are 1.5 lakh beneficiaries. However, we have prepared the capacity to store the full 1.6 crore doses. If delivered all at once, we are ready to accept and we can complete the vaccination of all beneficiaries in a single phase, ”said Director of Public Health Dr. G Srinivasa Rao.
Starting in mid-January, when the vaccination program could be rolled out in the state, the first batch to be accepted would be healthcare workers. Telangana has identified 2.75 lakhs of healthcare workers, including those from government and private facilities, and is now registering frontline workers in the CoWin software. Meanwhile, state health authorities have issued internal orders for the identification of civil society organizations that can be included in vaccination campaigns.
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