Yallapur: In these days, public faith in government hospitals has increased and efforts should be made to retain this faith, said Labour Minister Shivaram Hebbar. 

He was speaking after launching the pneumococcal conjugate vaccination drive (vaccine against pneumonia in children) at the taluk hospital here. 

He said, due to dedicated and expert doctors and staff in the government hospitals, people’s faith in them has increased. There is a need to retain the public faith, he added. 

He said, pneumococcal conjugate vaccination drive has been launched to check pneumonia in children. The government is giving the vaccine to children free of cost. Parents should avail its benefits, he suggested. 

Dr Soumya K V said, pneumonia conjugate disease has proved fatal in children below three years old. The government is giving free vaccines to check the disease, she added. 

Taluk Health Officer Narendra Pawar said, one need not get panicked by the vaccine. 

Taluk Panchayat Executive Officer Jagadish Kammar, Dr Deepak Bhat, and others were present.