Vaccine shortage: 25 centres in Mumbai shut; stock only till Friday

Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar warns that vaccination may have to come to a halt, says bringing back those who are asked to return is not easy.

Amid shortage of Covid vaccines, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation shut 25 vaccination centres on Thursday, even as Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar warned that the vaccination might come to a halt after Friday, if the civic body does not receive fresh stock of vaccine.

A notice hung outside a vaccination centre in Mahim notifying shortage of vaccines. (Satish Bate/HT Photo)

In a statement issued on Thursday, the BMC said, “Vaccination is currently underway at the remaining centres (except the 25) and there is enough stock left till Friday. The municipal administration is continuously following up to make the vaccine available.”

There are 118 vaccination centres in the city, and on an average of 40,000 to 50,000 people are vaccinated across these centres every day. The statement added, “A total of 1,709,550 vaccine doses were made available to the BMC till April 7, 2021, of which 1,561,420 vaccines have been used. As of Wednesday, 148,130 vaccines were in stock, of which 44,810 doses have been kept in reserve for second dosage and remaining 103,320 were available on Thursday, of which around 50,000 were used on Thursday. Considering the pending stock, the city has enough vaccine doses till Friday.” Pednekar said: “If asked to return, it is very difficult to get those citizens back. We have been constantly requesting the central government to give us doses.”

On Thursday, the civic-run Mahim vaccination centre ran out of stock around noon, however, later 50 vials were made available at the centre. Kiran Dighavkar, assistant municipal commissioner of the BMC, said, “The Mahim vaccination centre was shut as there was a shortage of vials. Later, we arranged 50 vials for the centre where we vaccinate around 700 citizens daily.”

As of Thursday, 1,580,727 citizens have been vaccinated in the city of which 529,912 are health care and frontline workers, 403,395 are between the age group of 45 to 59 and 647,420 are senior citizens above the age of 60. On Thursday alone, 56,909 citizens were vaccinated.

Several citizens also took to social media on Thursday expressing their displeasure over the shortage. Devika Fernanades, a Twitter user, wrote: “My neighbour had an appointment today for his first dose of vax in H ward of Mumbai. He returned as vaccine was unavailable. Hope politicians of all hues will not play with people’s life. Election crowds will spread infection to unbelievable levels. The vax may help us through.” Another Mumbai resident, Rekha Gada, took to Twitter saying, “Hospital in Mumbai has run out of vaccine. Can’t take my aunt tomorrow for her scheduled COVID vaccine, though we registered weeks earlier for this appointment BMC chief Iqbal Singh Chahal on Tuesday said, “We are facing shortage of vaccines, and are constantly in touch with the Central government for additional doses.”