New Delhi [India], June 18 (ANI): The Union Health Ministry on Friday directed States and Union Territories to focus towards expanding coverage of the Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PM-NDP) to all districts in all states and UTs.

New Delhi [India], January 28 (ANI): Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will chair a high-level virtual meeting with the health ministers of Southern states', Union territories today at 2.30 pm to review the COVID-19 situation and public health preparedness as well as response measures being taken in the context of Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2.

Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], January 12 (ANI): The Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir Dr Arun Kumar Mehta on Wednesday asked the Union Territory's Health and Medical Education Department to prioritise providing COVID-19 vaccination to the vulnerable populations.

New Delhi [India], January 7 (ANI): With over 90,000 COVID-19 cases reported in the country, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has written to the director of AIIMS, Delhi PGIMER, Chandigarh, JIPMER, Puducherry and other AIIMS institutes asking them to utilise funds made available to the institutes under ECRP-II.

New Delhi Aug 25 PTI Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday said more than two crore additional COVID-19 vaccine doses are being made available to states this month and they have been asked to vaccinate all school teachers on priority before Teachers Day on September 5Schools across the country were closed in March last year ahead of a nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of novel coronavirus infectionThe Centre had allowed the reopening of schools as per the COVID-19 situation in October last year While several states began partial reopening of schools there was a complete closure again in April when an aggressive second wave of COVID-19 hit the countryWith an improvement in the COVID-19 situation again several states have begun reopening schools now even as concerns have been expressed over the staff and teachers not being completely vaccinatedIn addition to the plan to provide vaccines to every state this month more than 2 crore vaccine doses are being made available We have requested all states to try to vaccinate all school teachers on priority before Teachers Day which is celebrated on September 5 Mandaviya said in a tweet in HindiUnion Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan chaired a high-level meeting on Wednesday with all states and Union Territories to review the progress of the COVID-19 vaccination driveAt the meeting the states were advised to focus on enhancing second dose coverage as well as immunization of school teachers and staff both government and privateStates were apprised on prompt utilisation of Emergency Covid Response Package ECRP funds and also advised to ensure compliance of Covid-appropriate behaviour and other precautionary measures ahead of the upcoming festival seasonBhushan stressed on having a definite district-level plan to increase the coverage of the second doseIn line with the announcement made by the Union health minister more than 2 crore additional vaccine doses will be dispatched to the states from August 27 to 31 to vaccinate school teachers and non-teaching staff on a priority basis an official release saidStates and Union Territories may use Unified District Information System of Education data and co-ordinate with the state education departments Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan Navodaya Vidyalaya Sangathan and others providing a necessary fillip to this vaccination programme it saidWith the 50 per cent fund of ECRP-II package already disbursed to the states and UTs they were advised to process procurement and supply orders immediately to procure equipment machinery beds and drugs in a time-bound mannerAt the meeting the states were also requested to make a month-wise expenditure plan and oversee corresponding physical progress on the ground PTI PLB NSD NSD