Health Minister's Delhi visit likely to be postponed

"We have requested if the same appointment can be carried forward by the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya or a new schedule will be decided. We will be talking to him about enhancing the vaccine allocation to Tamil Nadu, the admissions at the new medical colleges in the State and AIIMS Madurai," said health minister Ma Subramanian. 

Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Thursday, inaugurated the renovated playground of Madras Medical College that has been constructed at a cost of Rs. 25 lakhs on Thursday. 

Of the total of 3,697 cases of Mucormycosis have been reported in Tamil Nadu and at least 778 patients have been treated at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, said health minister Ma Subramanian on Thursday. 

Currently, there are 456 cases of Mucormycosis in the State and about 216 patients who have recovered from black fungus were discharged from several hospitals across the State on Wednesday. Health Minister Ma Subramanian appreciated the doctors and other healthcare workers of the hospital for providing good treatment to Mucormycosis patients. 

A total of 56,052 cases of COVID-19 have been treated at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and almost all the 2,600 beds of the hospital were occupied around a month ago. After the decline in the cases, currently 115 cases are present in the hospital. 

He added that people travelling from other districts to Chennai are being screened at State and district borders of the districts reporting high numbers of cases of COVID-19. "There is no need to worry about the third wave as we are prepared with 900MT oxygen and required number of concentrators, generators and cylinders," he said. When asked about the closure of the Sterlite oxygen plant, he said that COVID-19 has not vanished completely and it is useful in this scenario. 

Health Minister said that a total of 1,59,26,050 vaccines have been received from the Centre and 1,59,58,402 people have been vaccinated in total. Currently, 1,74,730 doses of vaccines are available in the State and next vaccination consignment is scheduled for 11th July. 

Responding to questions on the management of dengue cases in case of a surge in cases during monsoon, he said that the Greater Chennai Corporation is undertaking cleanliness drive and spraying disinfectants through drones. 

He said a total of 2,090 dengue cases have been reported in the State this year, with highest of 684 cases in March, 618 cases in February and 402 in January. There has been a decline in the cases of dengue for past few months as 249 cases were reported in April, 55 cases in May, 54 cases in June and 28 cases in July.