Few takers for vaccination against Covid in Thane city

Centres within Thane city hardly had beneficiaries visiting on Saturday whereas ample doses were available; centres for vaccination against Covid in Tembhi Naka and Wagle Estate saw fewer beneficiaries owing to the ongoing festive season

Vaccination centres within Thane city hardly had beneficiaries visiting on Saturday whereas ample doses were available. Vaccination centres in Tembhi Naka and Wagle Estate saw fewer beneficiaries owing to the ongoing festive season.

The festive season could be the reason for fewer people going to centres for vaccination against Covid in Thane city. (PRAFUL GANGURDE/HT FILE PHOTO)

“During Ganeshotsav, we had discontinued vaccination on select days. We have not done the same during Navratri. Also owing to the weekend and fasting rituals that many follow, a decrease in the number of beneficiaries would have been noted in centres. However, we are getting a good response overall. On Friday, we had vaccinated more than 13,000 beneficiaries across Thane city,” said a senior officer from TMC.

On Saturday, TMC conducted vaccination in 19 centres including five on wheels or mobile units.

Meanwhile, a vaccination centre in Kalyan had no staff to give away the token to citizens who thronged the centre on Saturday at around 7am. Around 40 citizens who arrived to get their jab at Saket College in Kalyan (E) had to wait for three to four hours for the staff to arrive and give away the tokens.

“Usually, the tokens are given at around 8.30am and that is why I went to the centre at 7am. However, there was no one at the centre to give the tokens and when we asked the security guard, he was also clueless. After waiting for a long time, I got the token at around 10.30am and then they allowed us in for the dosage,” said Jagdish Rai, 36, who arrived at the centre to take his second dose.

The KDMC was undertaking vaccination drives at its 29 centres on Saturday. “We will check if there was a delay caused due to negligence at the centre and take necessary steps. However, at around 10.30am the vaccination was initiated by the staff,” said an officer of the health department of KDMC.