Chennai, July 21(BPNS)
When compared to other metropolitan cities of the country, Chennai has administered two doses of vaccine to the maximum number of the eligible population. A study conducted by the Greater Chennai Corporation said that the City has inoculated the maximum number of the eligible population when compared to other metros.
The city, according to the study has fared much better than Mumbai, Delhi, Bangaluru and Hyderabad.
According to the study, data from Cowin portal shows that as of July 20, 2021, Chennai metro has vaccinated 9.11 lakh of the eligible population with both doses. The eligible population of the city is 59.45 lakh and the total population is 78.53 lakh. It means that 15% of the eligible populace and 12% of the total population of the city were administered two doses of the vaccine.
Bangaluru comes a close second to Chennai having vaccinated 15% of its eligible population and 10% of its total population.
At the same time, in Mumbai 11% of the eligible population and 8% of the total population were only given two doses of the vaccine. Delhi vaccinated 10% of its eligible population while Hyderabad was able to administer two doses of vaccines to only 8% of its eligible residents. Incidentally, Delhi had vaccinated 8% of its total population while Hyderabad could administer two doses of the vaccine only to 6% of its populace.
Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner Gagan Singh Bedi while speaking to BPNS said, “We monitored the situation very closely and conducted telecalls to all those who were eligible for the second vaccine and field survey workers reached out to people at their homes to advise them and intimate them of their second doses. A dedicated team effort helped us achieve this success, but more has to be done to combat the pandemic by inoculating more and more eligible people of the corporation.”
Doctors however, said that the Tamil Nadu government should take Chennai as a case study and create more and more awareness among the population in rural Tamil Nadu to emulate the Chennai model.
Dr Suchithra V Menon, an epidemiologist, working in a reputed hospital in Chennai while speaking to BPNS said, “Indeed Chennai has worked hard to achieve this but my contention is that rural Tamil Nadu must also increase its figures and without vaccination, we cannot fight the pandemic, and hence government should ensure that the entire population is vaccinated soon.”
