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No shot given at 36 centres in Pune due to shortage; stock arrives at Friday night
Pune: After a week of vaccinating highest number of beneficiaries daily, not a single shot was given at 36 out of the 130 vaccination centres in Pune city on Friday
Pune: After a week of vaccinating highest number of beneficiaries daily, not a single shot was given at 36 out of the 130 vaccination centres in Pune city on Friday. The administration awaits fresh stock supply even as politics over vaccine continues. Two days after state health minister Rajesh Tope said that there is shortage of vaccine which will hamper the vaccination drive, Pune Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders stated that the Centre has now started to directly supply vaccines to the district.
Meanwhile, around 10 pm on Friday, Pune gets 1.25 lakh vaccines.
On Monday, the district saw over 85,000 beneficiaries get vaccine in a single day which has been reducing ever since. On Thursday, only 54,000 got the vaccine at 427 sites of which 130 were from Pune city. On Friday, of these 130, only 94 could vaccinate beneficiaries as the 36 sites had to be shut because of shortage of vaccine.
Many had to return home, especially those who had come through walk-in including those who had come for their second dose. Dr Anjali Tilekar, ward medical officer of Kothrud-Bavdhan said that only 150 shots were given in Sutar Hospital.
BJP leader and MLA Siddharth Shirole tweeted on Friday evening, “The Central government has now started direct supply of vaccine to Pune. 2.48 lakh vaccines have already arrived today, additional 1.25 lakh will reach the district by Sunday.”
Pune major Murldihar Mohol also assured that vaccination would continue in the city on all days, including weekends. He said, “Out of the total stock of vaccines which would arrive to Pune, 40% would go to PMC, 40% to Pune rural and 20% to PCMC.”
Even as BJP leaders made these claims, as of late Friday evening, the administration still awaited its fresh stock of vaccine.
Zilla Parishad CEO Ayush Prasad said, “We have got the message that the vaccines would reach Pune shortly, but we do not know how they would come and where we would have to collect them? As in directly from Serum Institute, or the airport or we will have to go to Mumbai to collect it. We have our vehicles ready to collect as soon as we get the message.”
Another PMC health official also confirmed that by late Friday evening the stocks had not yet arrived. The official said, “As of now we have created the session sites for vaccination at PMC hospitals and the private hospitals would decide for their centres depending on their available stock. We are hoping to get some stock by late night.”
