Seventy-five per cent  of the target population have been vaccinated against Covid-19 in the country, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Thursday.

“Already 10 crore doses of vaccine have been administered  and 75% people out of 12 crore people have been brought under vaccination programme,” he said while speaking at a programme on the occasion of Cancer Day at the Cancer Research Institute in the city.

Steps have been taken to vaccinate the floating  people and transport workers, he said.

“I have talked to some people who are not willing to take the Covid jabs but I want to say that most of the people in Bangladesh want to get vaccinated unlike people of many other countries,” said Maleque.

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Mentioning that vaccines can reduce the risk of mortality, the Health Minister said the mortality rate is low in the country because a large number of people were brought under vaccination programme. “That’s why the number of patients in the hospitals is less.”

During the second wave of Covid-19, 10,000-12,000 people were hospitalised but some 1000-1500 people were hospitlaised  during the third wave of Covid, he said.

“Seventy-five percent of hospital beds are empty now so I would  request you to take Covid jabs in your arms,” said the Minister.

The number of cancer patients is increasing due to changes in lifestyle, he said adding  currently, there are 20 lakh cancer patients and every year, 1.5 lakh people are diagnosed with cancer while one lakh people die of cancer every year in the country, he said.

If detected at the primary stage, cancer is curable, he added.

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The government has taken a step to build eight cancer hospitals in eight divisions to ensure medical services to cancer patients, said Maleque.