Syringe shortage may hit PMC-rural Pune plan of 75-hour marathon vaccination drive
The 75-hour marathon Covid vaccination drive by PMC and rural Pune may suffer as the administration has enough vaccine doses, but may face shortage of syringes
Pune: After the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) began its 75 hours marathon of Covid-19 vaccination, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and rural Pune also plan to follow suit. However, even as the administration has enough doses with them, the shortage of syringes has emerged as a new worry for the administration.
The state government has been supplying Covid vaccine doses but has stopped giving syringes as the Centre has stopped the supply of syringes, said deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar during a press meet on Friday.
Pune zilla parishad chief executive officer Ayush Prasad said, “The shortage of syringes is primarily because of corporate donors who gave us only vaccines and no syringes. While Bajaj group donated both syringes and vaccine doses, we had to use up our syringes to continue the drives. This caused a temporary shortage. We are planning to start the 75 hours marathon vaccination drive at a selected larger location where there would be a continuous flow of beneficiaries and we will have at least nine nurses to provide service.”
On Saturday, the state provided syringes to the district but they would only suffice for the next few days. PMC is also facing a similar problem. Dr Suryakant Deokar, PMC immunisation officer said, “We have received over 41,000 syringes on Saturday and for the 75-hour marathon vaccination drive we would plan for the same on Monday and most likely the drive would begin on Tuesday and will continue till Friday. Regarding shortage of syringes if required we would buy more at our end.”
