Noida: Long queue for drive-through vaccination at GIP Mall

A two-kilometer long queue of cars leading up to the GIP Mall in Noida’s Sector 38 was seen on Monday for the drive-through vaccination camp there where the second dose of Covaxin was administered for those who were 45 years and older (45+)

A two-kilometer long queue of cars leading up to the GIP Mall in Noida’s Sector 38 was seen on Monday for the drive-through vaccination camp there where the second dose of Covaxin was administered for those who were 45 years and older (45+).

HT Image

The mall’s parking lot has been a vaccination centre since May 22 from 10am to 4pm. Monday’s queue was a first.

“The centre has a cap of administering 200 doses a day. However, around 300-350 cars had lined up at the centre. People had started coming at 8am itself,” Praveen Kumar, an official from district administration who was managing the vaccination site, said.

Vaccinations here did not require prior booking and were free of cost. Second doses of Covaxin were given at the centre. As per the Cowin dashboard, 192 people were vaccinated at the centre on Monday and a total of 742 people have been vaccinated here since May 22.

People who arrived at the centre alleged that some were allowed to walk-in and get their second dose.

Shikha Dwivedi, a resident of Delhi’s Mayur Vihar, said she was waiting for her turn since 9.30am. “We waited in the car for six hours to get the shot. But others who came in as late as 2pm simply walked into the centre and got it. There is no one to check whether people are going in by turn or not,” she said.

“When people saw that walk-in vaccinations were also taking place, those who were behind us in their vehicles in the queue got down, walked up to the centre and got vaccinated. Officials should have kept a check on this,” said Pankaj Bisht, a resident of Sector 75.

Delivery executives were seen delivering food to people waiting in their cars as many ordered meals online. “We came at around 9am and even then, the queue was at least one-and-a-half km long. We hadn’t anticipated this and were not carrying any food so we had to order some for us at 3pm,” said VK Saluja, a resident of Sector 45.

Many people had arguments at the centre with security guards as well. “The management should tell people waiting in the queue about the number of vaccines available with them and how many are left. There are still over 50 cars in line awaiting their turn when we walked up to the centre, by which time we got to know that only 10 more doses will be given. How will we get to know this sitting inside the car,” said Vikram Negi, a Sector 119 resident who had come with his mother to get vaccinated.

Officials said that tokens will be issued from Tuesday. “We will issue 200 tokens on a first-come, first-serve basis at the centre. Only those who with it will be given doses,” said Gajendra Singh, sub-divisional magistrate and nodal officer for vaccination in Gautam Budh Nagar.

L-1 health centre for Covid patients in Sector 100

The Noida Lok Manch, an NGO, is starting a 10-bed L-1 healthcare facility at the Late Tekram Memorial Health Centre in Sector 100 for Covid-19 patients.

“The centre is primarily for the underprivileged section of the society who can’t afford to get treated for Covid at hospitals. The centre will have facilities such as oxygen cylinders, concentrators, 24/7 lab testing and expert medical care,” said Mahesh Saxena, general secretary, Noida Lok Manch.