Governor Asks Red Cross To Amp Up Covid-19 Relief Efforts

Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan today directed the state's Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) chapter to intensify its effort to reach out to the members of the public requiring assistance in the midst of the ongoing pandemic.

At a virtual review meeting attended by all 33 district units of the Red Cross, Soundararajan, who is also the President of the body's state wing, urged the units to increase the number of active volunteers participating in Covid-19 relief efforts, and said, "Each district must have at least 1,000 to 1,500 active volunteers engaged in field-level work."

Pointing out that the ongoing second wave was more severe than the first, she asked the Red Cross officials to come up with "innovative initiatives" to reach out to the needy, focusing specifically on motivating, and helping the state's tribal community and several other vulnerable sections to get vaccinated against the deadly disease.

The Governor then announced that financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh each would be given to the urban units of the organisation working in the districts of Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Medchal- Malkajgiri and Warangal (Urban), and sanctioned Rs 50,000 each to all the remaining district units.

"The aid amount is to be used by each district wing to facilitate the transportation of tribal people and other underprivileged sections to vaccination centres. Ensuring the vaccination of all the eligible tribal people and slum-dwellers in Telangana should be your top priority right now," she added.

Each IRCS wing was also asked to submit district-wise reports detailing the number of masks distributed, the number of people whose vaccination had been facilitated, the number of blood donation camps organised, and the number of volunteers that had been enrolled.

"It is time that all the volunteers jump into the field and devote themselves to relief work. You must all supplement the Covid-19 prevention efforts of the state's government agencies in this hour of crisis. Motivating the public to strictly follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and encouraging them to get vaccinated are vital steps in stopping the pandemic from crippling Telangana further," the Governor said.

Secretary to Governor K Surendra Mohan and other senior officials of the Raj Bhavan also attended the virtual meeting.