Mumbai: Vax drive for frontliners picks up in state; city off to sluggish start

Mumbai: The overall vaccination numbers in the state and the city plummeted on Thursday, despite the immunization of frontline workers picking up momentum in some parts of Maharashtra and Mumbai beginning vaccination of frontliners, albeit on a very small scale. On Thursday, the state covered merely 57% and the city 54% of the intended numbers. Some said it was partly because vaccination centres are no longer allowed to register recipients, whose names are missing from Co-Win, on the spot.

Frontline vaccinations saw a major uptick in the state a day after they kicked off, but Mumbai saw a small start. As many as 3,925 frontliners took the vaccine in Maharashtra, up from 793 on Wednesday. In Mumbai though, only about 58-odd frontliners took the vaccine.

Dr Mangala Gomare, BMC’s executive health officer, said they would allow walk-in option to frontline workers from Thursday. Vaccination centres in Mumbai were increased from a dozen to 18 with the number of booths going up to 105.

Overall, a total of 34,907 people, including 30,982 healthcare and 3,925 frontline workers, got vaccinated in the state of the intended 61,322. This is despite the number of vaccination centres being pushed up to 593. Around 50% (3,89,540) of healthcare staff are estimated to have been vaccinated so far. Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said in a press conference that vaccination has to pick up pace in certain states. He cited the examples of MP and Rajasthan, where 74% and 67% healthcare workers have been vaccinated. Nationally, he said, 45% of 96.31 lakh registered healthcare workers have been vaccinated till the 19th day of vaccination.

In Mumbai, 4,331 recipients took the vaccine on Thursday of the intended 8,064 despite the addition of six new centres. The six new centres started on Thursday were Maa Hospital in Chembur, Kasturba in Chinchpokli, Centenary Hospital in Govandi, Jumbo facility in Dahisar, SK Patil Hospital in Malad East and BARC.

AMC Suresh Kakani said the attendance of frontline workers was not impressive. “We had a sort of trial in a few centres, but the response was not good. We will be keeping the option again on Friday to understand the problems,” he said. A civic official said they were sensing some hesitancy from frontline workers, such as those from the department of solid waste management, to get vaccinated. Besides, the technical glitches have been holding back the drive. Dr S R Suryawanshi, nodal officer of Nair Hospital, said policemen from nearby police stations had come to take the vaccine. “The app was slow, but we could manage a few,” he said.

Dr Gomare said it was unclear why footfall of health workers has dropped suddenly. “It had gone beyond 7,000 in the past few days,” she said. Dr Lalit Sankhe, nodal officer of the JJ centre, said Co-WIN is no longer allowing registration of health workers whose names are missing from the software. “It has been stopped since the past two days and many doctors had to go back without taking the vaccine,” he said. Several centres across the state have reported that the app was no longer allowing registration of health workers whose names are missing.