E-Paper
Senior doctors in Mumbai receive vaccine shots, motivate healthcare staff
On the first day of the mass vaccination drive, senior doctors got vaccinated to boost the morale of hundreds of healthcare workers (HCWs) in the city
On the first day of the mass vaccination drive, senior doctors got vaccinated to boost the morale of hundreds of healthcare workers (HCWs) in the city.
Since the approval of the two drugs — Covishield and Covaxin, there has been speculation among the public about its safety. But when senior doctors like Dr Shashank Joshi, Dr Rahul Pandit and Dr Gautam Bhansali who are part of the state’s Covid-19 task force along with deans of the hospitals got vaccinated, it was a way to gain the confidence of the public.
“There is speculation among public about the vaccine, so if senior doctors who have years of experience in the medical field can take the shot, they shouldn’t have any doubt. This should motivate all the HCWs to take the vaccine,” said Dr Bhansali.
Other senior doctors like Dr Harish Shetty, who is a well-known psychiatrist; Dr Sanjay Surase, medical superintendent of the government-run Sir JJ Hospital; Dr Nilkanth Awad, head of respiratory medicine at the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, among others also took the vaccine.
“We took the vaccine and didn’t have any kind of side effects or adverse reaction. We are the living example that the vaccine is safe for the public,” said Shetty.
Dr Bhansali said that after taking the vaccine, he also joined his duty at Bombay Hospital. “I didn’t feel any kind of weakness or dizziness,” he said.
Dr Mohan Joshi, dean of Sion hospital, said that it would help to spread a positive reaction among the public and gain their confidence in the vaccine. “When I got the vaccine, I could see relief in the eyes of the staffers. Even though some were sceptical, we counselled them, which encouraged them to take the shot,” he said.
Dr Dilip Patil, state surveillance officer, said there were no adverse side effects of the vaccine. On Saturday, there were 22 minor incidents of side effects like headache, tenderness and dizziness. “This is normal in all kinds of vaccination where such minor side effects are recorded. There is no case of severe or major side effects,” he said.
