Vaccination percentage rises in Bihar after govt allows on-the-spot shots

Bihar achieved 54.60% Covid-19 vaccinations Thursday, an increase of 4.5% over the previous vaccination day on Tuesday, when it inoculated 15,592 health care workers against the day’s target of 28,552.

The increase was attributed to the government allowing on-the-spot administration of the vaccine from among the beneficiaries already enrolled on the Covid-19 Vaccine Intelligence Network (Co-WIN) portal, if those listed at a session site (vaccination centre) for the day did not turn up.

Many session sites saw an upswing in the number of vaccinations on the first day of this arrangement.

The Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College (ANMMCH) in Gaya registered 68% vaccinations, Sri Krishna Medical College Hospital (SKMCH) in Muzaffarpur 58%, Nalanda Medical College Hospital (NMCH) 40% and Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College Hospital (JLNMCH) in Bhagalpur 36% against a target of 100 beneficiaries each.

“Though we inoculated 97 and three doses went waste, as beneficiaries did not turn up, it is considered to be 100% achievement of our target,” said Dr Bimal Karak, superintendent of the Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH).

The AIIMS-Patna, which was leading so far in terms of vaccination, however, registered a sharp fall on Thursday when it could achieve only 40% its target.

The institute had registered 100% achievement on the first two days and 80% on day three. It is the only institute in the state and among 20 facilities in India where the trial of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin was undertaken.

Dr CM Singh, superintendent of AIIMS-Patna, did not respond to phone calls or text messages.

Six medical colleges - the PMCH, NMCH, AIIMS, ANMMCH, SKMCH and JLNMCH - have been chosen as session sites for administering Covaxin, which is in a trial phase. Serum Institute’s Covishield is being administered at the remaining 295 vaccination centres in the state.

The Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), an autonomous institute on pattern of AIIMS, registered 57% vaccination - a drop from 76% on day two - while the three private institutions in Patna, including Paras hospital, Ruben Memorial and BIG Apollo Hospital, achieved 63%, 86% and 39% of the target, respectively.