India crosses 150 cr Covid vaccination mark

New Delhi: The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in India has crossed 150 crore with more than 81 lakh shots being given on Friday, the Health Ministry said.

Friday's vaccination tally is expected to increase with the compilation of final reports for the day by late tonight, the ministry added.

The 150-crore milestone was reached earlier on Friday with Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya calling it a "historic achievement" made possible because of the relentless hard work of healthcare workers under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to health ministry officials, over 91 per cent of the adult population has received at least one dose while over 66 per cent has been fully vaccinated.

Over 22 per cent of eligible adolescents have been vaccinated with the first dose since the vaccination for this age group began on January 3.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the feat and said the inoculation drive has ensured that many lives are saved.

"A remarkable day on the vaccination front! Congratulations to our fellow citizens on crossing the 150 crore milestone. Our vaccination drive has ensured that many lives are saved. At the same time, let us also keep following all COVID-19 related protocols," he said.

India is grateful to all those who have been working to make the vaccination drive a success, he said.

"We thank our doctors, scientists, innovators and the health care workers who are vaccinating the people. I urge all those eligible to get their shots. Together, let's fight COVID-19," he added.

Earlier on Friday, underlining his government's commitment to reaching the benefits of high-quality healthcare services to the poor and the middle class, Prime Minister inaugurated the second campus of Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI) in Kolkata.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who also attended the event that was held online, caused a flutter with her remark that she had already inaugurated the complex during the second COVID-19 wave, when the state desperately needed more and more centres to cater to the surge of patients.

A strident critic of Modi, Banerjee said she was attending the event after being invited twice by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandavia, and underscored her government has been following all guidelines issued by the Centre despite differences and "questions raised by the governor" over its decisions.

Extolling the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the prime minister said it has become a global benchmark for public healthcare systems with Over 2.60 crore people, including 17 lakh cancer patients, having benefited from it so far.

"This is yet another step towards our national resolve to reach high-quality healthcare services to all our citizens, especially the poor and the middle class," he said while dedicating to the nation the 400-bed tertiary cancer care centre built at a cost of Rs 534 crore that will cater to West Bengal, its eastern neighbours and the remote states of the Northeast.

"There was a time when a poor person either did not think of getting treated for cancer or sold his house and land for meeting the expenses. The poor and the middle class got anxious and lost heart at the sheer thought of having got cancer. We took determined steps to pull cancer patients out of their worries," he said.