33 MCD schools to have vaccination centres for 18-44 age group

After Delhi government schools, municipal schools in the national capital were turned into Covid-19 vaccination centres on Monday to inoculate the 18-44 age group

After Delhi government schools, municipal schools in the national capital were turned into Covid-19 vaccination centres on Monday to inoculate the 18-44 age group. Officials at the three civic bodies -- east, north, and south-- have been requesting the Delhi government to turn their schools into vaccination centres so that more beneficiaries in this age group are covered.

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The Delhi government has approved to turn 15 schools of the north corporation, 11 of the south corporation, and seven of the east corporation into Covid-19 vaccination sites.

North Corporation Mayor Jai Prakash said four of the 15 centres started functioning on Monday. “The remaining 11 centres will start functioning on Tuesday. We have been requesting the Delhi government to start centres in each ward to ensure that young people do not have to travel to different parts of the city to get the shot, given the present situation. Municipal staff are already working at vaccination centres in Delhi government schools and some of them can be deployed to these schools as well,” he said.

In East corporation, four schools were converted into vaccination centres on Monday and the remaining three will start functioning from Tuesday. East corporation mayor Nirmal Jain said, “We had also written to the chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on May 6, requesting permission to set up vaccination centres in our schools. Now the government has allowed us to set up seven such centres.”

The South corporation on Monday started four of 11 centres. South civic body education committee chairperson Mukesh Suryan said, “I had written to the Delhi government on Saturday requesting that it allow the south corporation to open vaccination centres in its schools. We had highlighted that some wards under the south civic body, including west Sagarpur and Dwarka assembly 46, had no vaccination centre for the age group of 18-44. We appreciate that the government quickly reacted and gave the nod for us to do so.”

Suryan said the staff at these centres will mostly be deputed from the respective corporations. “The government will provide us with the vaccine. We will ensure all other support systems,” he added.