Telangana health minister urges eligible people to take booster dose amid COVID-19 surge

Telangana Health Minister Harish Rao on Saturday urged all the eligible people of the state to take a booster dose for COVID-19 amid the rise in coronavirus cases. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader also informed that the CM KCR-led government will soon provide KCR nutrition kits to expectant, lactating mothers in a bid to address anaemia and other issues.

Telangana Health Minister Rao, who inaugurated the Program Management Unit (PMU) at TSMSIDC in Telangana's Koti, gave the details of the TRS government's initiatives to ramp up the health infrastructure in the state.

"We have started the PMU unit for the implementation of equipment management policy. The policy is effective from today. Equipment in government hospitals can be repaired within hours immediately like in private hospitals. Government dispensaries have equipment worth crores. We have allocated 17 crores for the implementation of the AMC policy. The call centre number has been set up also," Rao said.

Adding further he said, "We have made available e-Aushadhi for medication management and e-Upakaran for equipment management. All eligible should take a booster dose as COVID cases are increasing." He attacked the Central government by saying that it has failed in the distribution of the vaccines. "The Centre has failed in the distribution of vaccines. When writing a letter to increase the stock to the centre, there was no response," he said.

Notably, the TRS government on Tuesday wrote a letter to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, urging him to immediately supply 50 lakhs doses of Covishield to strengthen the pace of the precautionary dose administration in the state. It is significant to mention that as per state government data, 440 new cases of COVID-19 were reported from across the state on Saturday.

KCR nutrition kits for expectant, lactating mothers 

The Telangana minister said that the state government is working for the welfare of the women and as per the orders of CM KCR, nutrition kits will be distributed as a part of the Bathukamma gift. It is pertinent to mention that Bathukamma is a Hindu goddess festival which is predominantly celebrated in Telangana in the month of September/October.

"We are giving this kit in nine districts where anaemia is most affected– Adilabad, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Jayashankar Bhupalapalli, Jogulamba Gadwal, Kamareddy, Kumrambhim Asifabad, Mulugu, Nagar Kurnool, Vikarabad. So during the pregnancy, they will be given a nutrition kit and after delivery KCR kit will be given," Rao said.

Adding further he said, "Its aim is to reduce anaemia and increase the haemoglobin percentage by providing proteins, minerals and vitamins through nutrition. Each kit costs around Rs 2000. It is given twice."