Chandigarh bumps up daily vaccination capacity to 5,000

As many as 19 government centres, with a minimum capacity of 200 each, and 14 private facilities, having a capacity of 1,400 people, will now offer vaccination services.

Ramping up the city’s vaccination campaign, the UT administration has raised the daily inoculation capacity for senior citizens and the comorbid group to 5,000, against 3,200 since March 1.

Chandigarh has inoculated as many as 45,495 people since January 16 when the vaccination drive first started. (HT File Photo)

For this, the health department has started vaccination centres at dispensaries in peripheral areas of the city.

With this, as many as 19 government centres, with a minimum capacity of 200 each, and 14 private facilities, having a capacity of 1,400 people, will now offer vaccination services.

“We are trying to decentralise the system, which is concentrated at main hospitals of the city. We have made arrangements in several dispensaries, which cater to specific areas, so that people don’t have to visit hospitals,” said Dr Amandeep Kang, director, health, Chandigarh.

However, utilising the whole capacity remains a challenge for the authorities.

“When the daily dose capacity was around 3,000, only half of it was utilised in the first week of the drive. Even now after glitches have been taken care of and process is moving faster, not many people are coming forward,” a senior official of the health department said.

Health officials said the response was largely lower from the low-income neighbourhoods of the city and there was a need to spread awareness to encourage residents to get the vaccine.

“We have made announcements in areas like Bapu Dham Colony and are pushing for more educational activities in similar areas. We plan to set up more centres near such areas to encourage more people to get the jab. The expansion in network is being done to inoculate as many people as possible,” said Dr Kang said.

Chandigarh has inoculated as many as 45,495 people since January 16 when the vaccination drive first started. These include senior citizens, people aged between 45 and 59 and having comorbidities, healthcare workers and frontline workers.

In Panchkula, 24,579 people from these target groups have received the vaccine, while the number is 24,568 in Mohali.

Mohali civil surgeon Dr Adarshpal Kaur appealed to the senior citizens in the district to come forward for vaccination without any fear.

“On-the-spot registration facility is available at seven government health institutes and 27 private centres in the district. Those intending to get the vaccine just need to carry their Aadhaar card,” she said.

(With inputs from Mohali and Panchkula)