Mumbai civic body to procure 5mn vaccines from global market
In order to ensure a speedy vaccination process of citizens, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will float a global tender to procure Covid-19 vaccines directly from the international market
In order to ensure a speedy vaccination process of citizens, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will float a global tender to procure Covid-19 vaccines directly from the international market. Currently, BMC gets Covishield and Covaxin vaccine doses of domestic manufacturers from the Central and state governments.
BMC also issued detailed guidelines allowing housing societies and private establishments to tie-up with private hospitals for vaccinating residents and employees, respectively, in their premises.
“Looking at the need for adequate vaccines to ensure that vaccination is swift and efficient, after discussing the issue with CM (chief minister) Uddhav Thackeray ji, as guardian minister of Mumbai, we have asked BMC to explore possibilities of global procurement of vaccines (sic),” Mumbai suburban guardian minister Aaditya Thackeray tweeted.
“Today the @mybmc has also issued guidelines for vaccination policy of housing societies partnering with hospitals for vaccination within society complexes,” read Thackeray’s tweet.
A circular signed by civic body commissioner IS Chahal stated that it is necessary to expand the number of vaccination centres in Mumbai and also ensure swift vaccination before the third wave hits.
“Our efforts to increase vaccination centres are constantly on going and the BMC shall be having a centre in every municipal ward, along with a drive-in vaccination centre across all zones of Mumbai. I request all other cities to also have the drive-in vaccination for citizens above the age of 65 for their ease and comfort,” Thackeray said in another tweet.
According to BMC officials, the civic body will explore possibilities to get vaccines including Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson and Russia’s Sputnik V and the tender to procure around five million doses will be floated in a week’s time.
Additional civic commissioner Suresh Kakani said that all the manufacturers who have licences will be allowed to supply vaccines directly to the city. According to BMC guidelines, the payment for each dose would have to be mutually decided by the private hospital and workplace/housing society.
Workplaces and societies are required to designate one of their senior staff as nodal officers to coordinate with private centres. The nodal officer shall oversee and facilitate all aspects of vaccination at the workplace/ society like registration of beneficiaries and availability of physical and IT infrastructure. The beneficiaries must be registered on CoWIN app prior to the vaccination drive. In case of a workplace, on-the-spot registration shall be available only to employees, while their family members have to register on CoWIN.
Each team from a private vaccine centre should compulsorily have a doctor, a vaccinator and a vaccination officer who will verify the CoWIN details and an additional officer to manage the crowd. An ambulance has to be stationed at the place of the drive.
