Walk-in vaccinations suspended in Mumbai
Amid reports of crowding in several Covid-19 vaccination centres across the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday announced that no walk-in vaccination will be conducted in Mumbai from Friday across all age groups
Amid reports of crowding in several Covid-19 vaccination centres across the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday announced that no walk-in vaccination will be conducted in Mumbai from Friday across all age groups. The BMC has made it mandatory for every citizen to get a prior appointment on the Cowin portal in order to get vaccinated. The civic body also plans to start drive-in vaccination centres in all seven zones of the city for citizens above 60 years of age and the specially abled.
According to the BMC, drive-in vaccination centres have been proposed in the following open grounds — Wankhede stadium, Oval Maidan, Brabourne stadium, Reliance Jio Garden, Andheri sports club, Cooperage Maidan, Shivaji Stadium, MIG Ground (Bandra), MCA Ground (BKC), Sambhaji Udyan (Mulund), Subash Nagar Ground (Chembur), Tilak Nagar Ground (Chembur), Ghatkopar Police Ground and Shivaji Maidan (Chunnabhatti).
The above decisions were taken by municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal after a meeting with guardian minister Aaditya Thackeray on the issue of crowding across several vaccination centres in the city.
On Wednesday, a stampede-like situation was reported outside the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) jumbo vaccination centre. Thackeray took to Twitter on Thursday saying, “With regards to the crowding at some of the Vaccination centres and the opening up of more “drive in” vaccination centres across the city,
@mybmc Commissioner Chahal ji and I had a discussion this morning and new guidelines would be released soon.”
Post this meeting, in a circular issued by him, Chahal stated, “Covid-19 vaccination centres are getting overcrowded, and it becomes difficult to maintain social distancing and Covid appropriate behaviour at the vaccination centres. Therefore, it is hereby directed that all citizens who wish to get vaccinated against COVID-19 shall in advance register themselves on the Cowin portal and also book the appointment slot at the vaccination centre of their choice on the same portal before proceeding to the vaccination centre.”
The civic body however has given exceptions for appointment on three grounds. “All citizens above 45 years of age who are due for the second dose of Covaxin only are subject to production of the provisional certificate of 1st dose in either soft or hard copy followed by health care workers and front-line workers due for 2nd dose and 1st dose.”
Further, in context of coming up with drive-in vaccination centres across the city, BMC, in a circular, stated citizens above the age of 60 years will be vaccinated at drive-in vaccination centres. Only Covishield vaccine will be administered at these drive-in vaccination centres. “The beneficiary citizen to be vaccinated shall not self-drive and he/she shall be accompanied by an attendant or a driver in each vehicle to deal with AEFI (Adverse Event Following Immunization), if any,” read the circular signed by Chahal.
It adds, “The arrangements such as proper single lane barricades for manoeuvring of vehicles, inlet/outlet control etc. shall be done inside the ground/ stadium so that there will not be any traffic jam on the adjoining roads.”
The BMC officials are also ordered to make adequate and proper temporary shelter for vaccination area to accommodate vaccination staff, the order also directs to make necessary arrangements for patients of AEFI, ambulance parking, mobile toilets and drinking water facilities. The concept of drive-in vaccination centres is being adopted after good response to the BMC’s first such centre.
On Tuesday, BMC set up the first drive-in vaccination centre, where people can visit in their cars to get jabs, at a public parking lot of Kohinoor Square building at Dadar. Hundreds of beneficiaries queued in their cars at the centre to get vaccines in the past three days, according to BMC officials.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, vaccination was conducted between 9am and 5 pm across all age groups. However, the BKC jumbo vaccination centre turned down several citizens in the age group of 45+. The BKC centre said it is only vaccinating the first dose for those within the 18-44 age group with prior appointment.
Dr Rajesh Dere, dean of BKC vaccination centre, said, “The vaccination for 45+ is shut as there is inadequate supply. Yesterday we got 8,000 doses and it is not sufficient for our requirement.” Further, long queues were also observed across several vaccination centres in the city including Dahisar Jumbo Centre, NESCO jumbo centre, Rajawadi Hospital, KEM Hospital in the city.
On Thursday, the BMC added three new centres for the vaccination drive of the 18-44 age group. Starting Friday, first dose of Covaxin will be given to 18-44 age group at these three centres — Maa Saheb Meenatai Maternity Home in Chunnabhatti, PWD Community Hall in Bandra east and The World Tower Parking in Lower Parel. Apart from these three centres, age group of 18-44 will also be vaccinated with Covishield vaccine at five vaccination centres — Cooper Hospital, BKC Jumbo Centre, Rajawadi Hospital, Seven Hills and Nair Hospital.
Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner of the BMC, said, “We have got around 31,000 Covaxin doses from which we will vaccinate 18-44 age group at new three centres from Friday, followed by second dose for 45+ age group. Overall, we have 100,000 vaccine doses, which will be enough for the next two days at least. Additionally, we are getting around 75,000 doses on Thursday night.”
On Thursday, 60,153 citizens were vaccinated — 2,835 were between 18-44 age group, 21,561 were between 45 and 59 years of age , 28,619 were above 60 years of age, followed by 5,085 frontline workers and 2,052 health care workers.