Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has called a meeting of Health Ministers of states and union territories on Wednesday to discuss the ramping of COVID-19 vaccination, reported news agency ANI.
The Union Minister will also discuss with the Health Ministers about PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission during the meet, the report added.
In the meeting tomorrow, Mandaviya will also discuss the delay in administering the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccines.
Sources told ANI that the country has in stock 11 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses of Covishield and Covaxin. But more than 10 crore people still haven't taken their second dose, added sources.
This meeting comes nearly a week after India crossed the historic milestone of administering one billion vaccine doses.
Meanwhile, the Centre on Saturday asked the states and UTs to speed up the vaccination programme with focus on second COVID doses across the country.
The Centre has planned to vaccinate all eligible population by the end of 2021 under the mass vaccination programme.
India has covered 76 per cent of the eligible population for the first dose.
"So far, 71.24 crore first doses, covering 76 per cent of the eligible population, and 30.06 crore second doses, covering 32 per cent of the eligible population, have been administered the Covid vaccines," said the Health Ministry earlier in a statement.
2 containers based mobile hospitals to be set up under Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure scheme
Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday said two container-based mobile hospitals with all healthcare facilities will be established under the PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission which could be rushed to any place in case of an emergency.
He said these containers with a capacity of about 100 beds each will be placed in Delhi and Chennai, adding that they can be airlifted or taken by trains to the place of emergency.
"This is happening in South Asia for the second time that two containers will be kept ready in the country in which all the facilities related to the hospital will be there," he noted.
The minister stated that the Centre has taken a "total" not "token" approach in healthcare, adding that COVID-19 pandemic has given an opportunity to improve the health infrastructure and for that PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission has been launched with an investment of Rs 64,000 crore.
Approval for Covaxin on basis of WHO meeting today
Mandaviya also said that approval for Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin will be given on the basis of the meeting which will be convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) today.
"WHO has a system in which there is a technical committee which has approved it (Covaxin) while the other committee is meeting today. The approval for Covaxin will be given on the basis of today's meeting," said Union Health Minister during a press briefing.
(With input from agencies)
