Tamil Nadu prepares for a possible third wave

Chennai, June 22: Even as fresh Covid-19 cases and active cases are showing a dip in Tamil Nadu, the state is preparing to counter the possibility of a third wave with experts differing whether the third wave will immediately succeed the second wave or will take some time.

The Tamil Nadu health department has made available 66,000 beds with oxygen connection and prepared itself to face a third onslaught if any. The state government in a reply to a petition in the Madras High Court on Monday gave an affidavit that it has already readied 66,000 beds and has vaccinated 1.12 crore people as of June 17.

The state government has also mentioned that it has made efforts to administer the second dose even before the 84 day period for those who have taken the first dose of Covishield vaccine and are travelling abroad. The government has also issued guidelines to vaccinate differently-abled people.

Health experts across the country have varied opinions on whether the third wave would affect children or people of all age groups. Dr Rajani Varrier, a paediatrician with a medical college in Chennai, while speaking to IANS said, "Children have to be taken care of as there are possibilities of the third wave affecting them. However globally it is not a confirmed fact that the third wave would affect children the most. Instead, people of all categories should be aware and prepared for a third wave which is definitely going to hit the country sooner or later."

The state health department has conducted virtual online sessions with all the district health officers and has provided a road map for communication and creating awareness among the people in both the urban and rural areas. The Chief Minister has constituted a 13-member committee of legislators drawn from all political parties having representation in the Assembly. This committee will be acting as a watchdog for ground level developments.

A senior bureaucrat in the Tamil Nadu health service told IANS: "We have chalked out a plan of day to day monitoring of the situation and will be getting feedbacks from the district health officials to the state Covid monitoring centre. Creating awareness among people is the focus now as well as boosting the health infrastructure."

The health department has communicated with all the corporates for their CSR support to provide oxygen beds, more ventilators, and oxygen concentrators.

The state government is also going for a massive vaccination drive to inoculate as many people as possible in a short period so that people get immunity and the society reaches herd immunity.