Mumbai reports poorer turnout on Day 2 of vaccination drive

The Covid-19 vaccination drive in Mumbai suffered a setback on Tuesday with a poorer turnout compared to the last Saturday, the first day of the drive.

While just under 2000 frontline health workers were inoculated across ten hospitals in Mumbai last week, the number dropped to 1,579 on Tuesday. Senior officials, who did not wish to be identified, said the number perhaps would have been lower if hospitals had not called employees who were not registered for vaccination on Tuesday to fill the gap.
Though municipal authorities continued to pin the blame on malfunctioning CoWin app -- the main reason for suspending the drive for two days before its resumption on Tuesday – sources said reluctance on the part of some of those listed to take the jab is also one of the reasons for the poor response.
Just like last week, 4000 health workers were registered across ten hospitals to receive the shot on Tuesday. While some of them were informed about the allotted slot via messages on CoWin, others received a call from the municipal corporation’s war room.

The vote of no confidence is surprising given that none of those who took the jab last week have reported any serious adverse reaction. There were also no reports of any complications among those who were inoculated at JJ Hospital with Covaxin.
Mumbai Mirror on Tuesday tracked down 13 health workers who were vaccinated across three hospitals. All of them were not only back at work, but also said they were feeling fine. A majority of those interviewed said they had mild fever and body ache on Saturday night. None of them called the BMC helpline to report adverse reaction and either popped a paracetamol or slept it off.

None of those interviewed were injected with Covaxin.
Doctors, nurses and ward boys, among those interviewed, were unanimous that health workers must get inoculated to protect themselves and their loved ones.
The drop in number on Tuesday, however, was significant enough to worry the authorities. In fact, officials said, they had expected people in larger numbers compared to last week to come forward for the shot.

Dr Mangala Gomare, BMC’s Executive Health Officer, said the municipal corporation was expecting to vaccinate around 3,200 health workers on Tuesday. “We believe it was once again the malfunctioning CoWIN app. Messages to people went in late,” she said.
Dr Ramesh Bharmal, Dean, Nair Hospital, said only 80 of the 500 registered to be vaccinated at the hospital received the shot. At Sion Hospital, only 120 of the 500 registered turned up.

At KEM Hospital 307 health workers were vaccinated with staff from Wadia Group of Hospitals called in to make up numbers.
The number was low at the BKC Jumbo Centre too. Dr Rajesh Dere, who heads the jumbo centre, said he had expected the number to rise compared to last week. “But we managed to vaccinate only 105,” he said.
A senior BMC officer said instructions have been issued to counsel health workers so that they participate in the vaccination drive in large numbers. “But we cannot force anyone,” he said.

The BMC had hoped to vaccinate at least a thousand healthcare workers at each centre every day.
Meanwhile, health care workers interviewed by us said they had no doubt in their minds about the efficacy of the vaccines. Nikhil Sawant, 41, an employee of Sai Baba Hospital, said he only consulted his sister, a doctor, before going for the vaccination. “At around midnight I got fever. But it subsided within two hours. I had a severe headache the next day. But I am fit and fine now,” he said.
Dr Arun Nayak, Professor and Head of Department, Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Sion Hospital, said: “The vaccination was painless. I didn't have any side-effects. I did my brisk walk for 45 minutes this morning and resumed work.” He said he would advise all health workers to take the shot.

Produced by Vinay Arote