Mumbai gets only 100 doses of swine flu vaccine from state

Though Mumbai is grappling with an average of 40 new cases of swine flu every day, public hospitals in the city have received only 100 doses of the swine flu vaccine from the government.

Though Mumbai is grappling with an average of 40 new cases of swine flu every day, public hospitals in the city have received only 100 doses of the swine flu vaccine from the government.

The state health department, which had asked for 9,000 doses from the Centre, has received only 33% of the requisitioned doses. State health officials have attributed this incomplete consignment to short supply of the vaccine. The consignment of vaccines – the first this year – arrived from Delhi last week.

“We have received only 100 doses, which we have distributed to hospitals that are regularly treating swine flu patients,” said Dr Mangala Gomare, chief of the epidemiology cell, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The BMC had demanded more than 1,000 doses of the vaccine for its three medical colleges and 16 periphery hospitals.

Kasturba Hospital in Chinchpokli – the only infectious disease hospital in the city – will receive the biggest consignment of the vaccine.

Last month, the ministry of health and family welfare had recommended vaccination for all healthcare providers. “Ideally, we should have received the vaccination immediately, but the stock has just arrived from the Centre,” said a senior state health official.

“We have already asked the authorities to provide the vaccines immediately to the employees. Many of our union members have raised concerns,” said Sukhdev Kashid, assistant general secretary, Municipal Mazdoor Union.

The shortfall in vaccines has forced the Government Medical College in Nagpur to procure the vaccines privately. “Our employees were keen on getting vaccinated and we had to buy the vaccine from the open market. Three weeks ago, we vaccinated 160 staff members including nurses, doctors and others who come in contact with patients,” said Dr AK Niswade, dean of the college.