CHENNAI: Though the city continues to report fewer than 200 daily Covid-19 cases, Greater Chennai Corporation is keeping its guard up. The corporation has developed a strategy aimed at targeted surveillance and focused vaccination by identifying vulnerable groups.
“The most vulnerable will be those with comorbidities. So we are holding a review meeting every day to not just find the number of people with comorbidities, but also those who are vaccinated. We are identifying such people every day and least 3,000 to 4,000 new names are added to the list daily. We also ensure they are under surveillance through fever surveillance workers. We have set a periodic schedule such that at least 20,000 to 25,000 tests are carried out every day and a huge chunk of that comes from crowded locations such as the market places, commercial establishments, T Nagar shopping area and fruit and vegetable markets. There is more focus on people in these locations for vaccinations, including those at malls,” corporation commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi said. If anyone tests positive, all their contacts are tested and isolated.
The civic body is also working in coordination with the state health department and is appointing more doctors, nurses and staff and giving them pediatric training as well.
Chennai topped metros with 12% of its population fully vaccinated. However, of the 28 lakh people identified as vulnerable patients, only 3 lakh have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
The civic body prepared a comprehensive list of 28 lakh people with diabetes, hypertension, tuberculosis, pregnant women and lactating mothers. Of the 9.45 lakh who are diabetic,1.5 lakh were identified and 1 lakh vaccinated. The civic body has identified 1.32 lakh with hypertension and vaccinated about 95,000 of them have been vaccinated. Among the 2,841 pregnant women identified, 407 have been vaccinated and of the 3,727 lactating mothers, 124 have been vaccinated.
