Govt will administer COVID-19 vaccine free of cost to people: Pondy CM

COVID-19 vaccine will be madeavailable to all people free of cost in the UnionTerritory,and the vaccination drive would be held in threephases, Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy said onTuesday.

The full expenditure would be borne by theadministration, he told reporters here.

In the first round, 14,000 health workers would beinoculated.

In the second phase, field staff engaged in carryingout Covid control programme would be vaccinated and it wouldcover those from police, revenue and local administrationdepartments.

In the third, those above 50 and also those havingcomplaints of diabetes, hypertension and cancer would bevaccinated.

The CM said he has appealed to the Prime Ministerthat the vaccine vials for Mahe and Yanam be distributed fromneighbouring Kozhikode in Kerala (for Mahe) and Kakinada inAndhra Pradesh (for Yanam).

Transporting the vaccines from Puducherry, as soonas it made available by the Centre, to these distant pocketswould be practically impossible, particularly in maintainingthem in cold storage,he said.

Narayanasamy said he had requested prime ministerNarendra Modi at the video conference with Chief Ministers onMonday that political leaders, ministers and those in publiclife also be brought under the first phase for inoculation asit would set an example and give people the confidence in thevaccines.

Already two rounds of dry runs were conducted toensure full logistics and preparedness of the Healthdepartment to implement vaccination once the vials wereavailable from the Centre, he added.

Modi has said India will launch its COVID-19vaccination drive on January 16.PTI COR BNWELCOME BNWELCOME