With 'puja' and flowers, vaccination drive begins in MP

A sanitary worker was among thefirst beneficiaries to receive the COVID-19 vaccine shot inMadhya Pradesh where healthcare workers were welcomed withflowers at some centres while doctors performed a 'puja' at atemple in Gwalior, as the inoculation drive rolled out.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan thanked ''coronawarriors'' on the occasion.

Vaccination centres in Bhopal, Indore and Gwalior andat some other places were decorated with flowers and balloons.

In Gwalior, doctors performed 'puja' at the temple ofLord Hanuman before the start of the vaccination drive.

The drive is underway at 150 centres in Madhya Pradeshincluding at 12 centres in Bhopal.

As many as 4.17 lakh healthcare workers will beadministered the vaccines in the first phase in the state,according to officials.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhanreached the vaccination centre at Hamidia Hospital.

He also spoke with some beneficiaries who received thevaccine shots.

The chief minister also listened to Prime MinisterNarendra Modi's address.

On the occasion, Chouhan thanked corona warriors fortreating people when cases were at their peak.

''In the first phase, health care workers would beadministered this vaccine. Frontline workers will receive thevaccine in the second phase. All the precautions have beentaken and persons receiving the vaccine are being kept underobservation for half-an-hour,'' the chief minister said.

He urged the people to follow all the protocolsrelated to the pandemic even after vaccination.

A sanitary worker was administered COVID-19 vaccine inHamidia Hospital, said Minister for Medical Education VishwasSarang.

He said people didn't have any apprehensions about thevaccination.

Minister for Water Resources Tulsiram Silawat reachedIndore's Government MY Hospital and talked to people receivingthe first dose of the vaccine.

In Jabalpur, Union minister Prahlad Patel was presentwhen the vaccine was administered to the first person.

The state has received 5,06,500 doses of Covishieldvaccine so far.

''In the first phase of the drive, 4.17 lakh personswill be administered the vaccines. Of them about 57,000 healthcare workers will receive the vaccines in the first week ofthe drive,'' Health Minister Prabhuram Choudhary said.

In the second phase, about 55,000 healthcare workerswill receive the vaccine, he said.