Stalin launches free vax drive in pvt hosps using CSR funds

A number of people who had gathered at the Kauvery hospital to take vaccines got the shots under this scheme and the CM gave away the vaccination certificates. A media release said Rs 2.27 crore was available through which 36,000 doses of vaccine were given, to start with, the release said.

After the inauguration of the vaccination drive, S Chandrakumar, chairman, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Tamil Nadu State Council, handed over a cheque of Rs 2.20 crore and Adyar Ananda Bhavan managing director KT Srinivasa Raja, a cheque of Rs 7 lakh to the CM.

The CM said the citizens should get vaccinated as that is the only way to prevent COVID. So far, a total of 2,15,17,446 people got their jabs in both government and private hospitals, reports said.

The free-vaccination-through-private-hospital initiative got to a start after a meeting the Health Minister Ma Subramanian held with companies and representatives of around 117 private hospitals from Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode, and Salem districts.

After the meeting, the Health Minister said private hospitals welcomed the proposal and were also ready to provide free vaccination using CSR funds. The event was attended by the Health Minister, Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan, and Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi.