People in India still not realizing that Covid-19 infection causes deaths: Dr Shankar

Speaking after inaugurating the three-day Public Health Innovations Conclave--PHIC EXPO 2021 held at Hitex in Madhapur here from Friday, Dr Shankar said even though several experts, media and other organisations have educated people to take vaccines, the success rate is only 70 per cent.

"We had different experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to negligence, no one came forward to take vaccines during the Covid-19 first wave," he said due to this so many vaccines were wasted.

"But in Covid-19 second wave, public has realized that vaccination is necessary," Dr Shankar said.

He said that the three important experiences never be forgotten which is good food, water and environment. These are to play a very important role in the peoples’ lifestyle and protect their health.

This conclave has a lot of opportunities. This platform is going to be more innovative knowledge in Technology, equipment and manufacturing wise for educating public health persons. This will definitely help the public health sector in preventing pandemic diseases.

Dr Shankar said the government's first priority is public health.

"We had struggled to establish hospitals to be oxygenated. Now all government hospitals in Telangana state are equipped with oxygen pipelines," he said.

“The government sector is ready to provide oxygen to everyone if a pandemic situation prevails in the state in future,” he said.

He hoped that there will be no third wave because of providing vaccination to everybody.

Stating that the vaccine will not protect anybody from the virus but protects from the death, Dr Shankar said the vaccine protects 90 per cent from the death'.

He predicted that we are going to have a normal life in January 2022 If we are alert like wearing masks, maintaining social distance and sanitization of hands, in the current month and in December.