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Private hospital starts vaccination drive in Kangra
There are 39 private CVCs registered on the CoWIN portal in Himachal Pradesh and only Fortis Hospital has procured the vaccine so far
A private Covid vaccination centre (CVC) at Fortis Hospital, Kangra, has started administering doses to the general public Friday onwards, a health official said.
There are 39 private CVCs registered on the CoWIN portal in Himachal Pradesh and only Fortis Hospital has procured the vaccine so far.
Director, National Health Mission, Dr Nipun Jindal said Fortis Hospital will be the first private facility in the state to vaccinate people and has fixed the rate of Covishield at ₹850 per dose.
He said the beneficiaries of 18-45 age group may get themselves vaccinated at the private CVCs as well, after paying the due charges fixed by the institutions.
He said Sanjeevani Jindal hospital at Kinnaur is another private CVC currently providing the vaccine.
However, it is providing vaccination to only the employees of Jindal Hydro Power Project as industrial workplace CVC in the state.
Active cases drop to below 10K-mark in HP
Himachal Pradesh recorded 787 fresh Covid-19 infections on Friday taking the state’s tally to 1,93,924 while the death toll mounted to 3,244 after 27 patients succumbed to the contagion.
Of the new cases, 148 were reported in Kangra, 147 in Shimla, 138 in Mandi, 71 in Chamba, 68 in Hamirpur, 52 in Una, 50 in Solan, 39 in Sirmaur, 36 in Kullu, 20 in Bilaspur and 13 each in Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti.
Five fatalities each were reported in Kangra and Una, four in Sirmaur, three each in Bilaspur and Kullu, two each in Hamirpur and Mandi and one each in Shimla and Solan.
The active cases in the state have come down below 10,000-mark in the state for the first time in over a month. Till Friday evening, there were 9,787 active cases left in the state.
Recoveries reached 1,80,870 after 2,030 people recuperated.
The recovery rate is now 93%.
Meanwhile, Kangra remains the worst-hit district with 44,268 infections. It is followed by Mandi with 25,849 cases and Shimla with 24,250 cases.
Solan has 21,746 cases, Sirmaur 14,848, Hamirpur 13,774, Una 12,766, Bilaspur 12,150, Chamba 10,144 , Kullu 8,471, Kinnaur 3,045 and Lahaul-Spiti 2,613.
Singha highlights problems faced by ASHAs
Meanwhile, CPIM leader and Theog legislator Rakesh Singha has shot off a letter to chief minister Jai Ram Thakur highlighting the problems being faced by ASHAs, who have on the forefront of the battle against Covid-19.
“Had this framework not been available already, the death toll from the pandemic could have been higher. They have contributed significantly in the prevention of epidemics, but they have their own problems which needed to be addressed,” wrote Singha
He said ASHAs play a key role in prevention of epidemics and implementation of various government schemes and programmes.
However, they are being given a very little honorarium, he wrote.
The increase of ₹750 in the honorarium effective April 1, 2021, has also not been given yet which should be given immediately along with arrear, he said.
“So, the government should consider and take immediate steps to regularise the services of ASHAs,” he said.
