Chennai, June 22(BPNS)

AIADMK leader and former health minister,C Vijayabhaskar while responding in the thanksgiving motion of the Governor’s address in the house said that the state should be guarded against a possible third wave. He said that director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences(AIIMS) , Dr Randeep Guleria has warned about the possible third wave in the country.

Vijayabhaskar said,” Whether the third wave comes or not, let us be ready with the strengthened infrastructure, recruitment of doctors and nurses. We have 1.71 crore nonvaccinated people below 18 years and even if we consider 10% will land in hospitals, we will have to encounter 2 lakh pediatric cases. We need a minimum of 1 lakh beds for children and an equal number for their parents.”

The health minister and DMK leader Ma Subramanian intervened and said that the state government is prepared for any eventuality and that the health infrastructure was ramped up by the government in the past month.

“We have added 79,618 beds in the past 45 days, a 250 bedded pediatric ward has come up in the Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children in Egmore, Chennai. Covid cases have come down to 7,427 cases on Monday and the infection will be put to an end in a few days, not in weeks”, Minister said.

The health minister also said that the state has commenced receiving vaccines from the Centre starting from June 21 after it reverted to centralized procurement policy due to the pressure from the Chief Minister. It had fixed a target of supplying 42 lakh vaccines in June and 71 lakh doses in July.

Ma Subramanian said, “ The state government received 1.29 crore vaccines so far, benefitting 1.24 crore people. We need 10 crores more vaccines. The awareness created by the government resulted in people waiting for more than four hours in queues across the state for getting vaccinated.”