Covid 19 vaccination in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is picking up after a poor response initially as 1,731 of the 3,391 healthcare workers have taken the first dose of the vaccine till now. (Representational) The Covid 19 vaccination in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is picking up after a poor response initially as 1,731 of the 3,391 healthcare workers have taken the first dose of the vaccine till now.
The nationwide Covid19 vaccination drive was launched on January 16 with priority to healthcare workers. The PMC had set up vaccination centers at eight hospitals, four each in government and private hospitals.
The vaccine was administered in all eight centres on the launching day. But technical problems in Co-win software application affected the drive, mainly in private hospitals. However, the problems have been sorted out now and all the centres, except Bharati Vidyapeeth, are administering doses.
The vaccination is done four days a week on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday as per the instructions of the union government.
The overall vaccination rate in the city is 51 percent as of now in the last five days. It was 55 percent on the day of launch, but it dropped to 36 percent and 31 percent on January 19 and 20 respectively. It increased to 60 percent on January 22 and 67 percent on January 23.
Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has directed the civic administration to create awareness among the healthcare workers on the need to get Covid19 vaccine so as to control the pandemic.
The administration has been asked to make those vaccinated to share their experiences with other healthcare workers who are reluctant in getting vaccinated. Another reason for the poor rate of vaccination was delay by civic administration in providing a list of beneficiaries to the vaccination centre.