Nagpur: Like in case of healthcare workers (HCW), less than 60% frontline workers (FLW) turned up for Covid-19 vaccination in the last two days in six districts of Nagpur division. In three weeks, 97,434 HCW and FLW have taken the jab in 11 districts of Vidarbha.
The vaccination programme was started with HCW on January 16. Less than 60% of scheduled HCW including doctors, nurses, technicians, attendants etc from the region have turned up for the inoculation.
Vaccination of frontline staff working in departments falling under the ministry of housing and urban affairs, revenue and home affairs was started in all districts of the region on February 5.
As per data available from the office of deputy director of health services, 2,234 (60.64%) FLW as against targeted 3,684 took the jab in Nagpur division on February 5. The sane day, 4,384 (70.83%) HCW against targeted 6,189 turned up for the inoculation.
On Saturday, February 6, 1,703 (54.06%) FLW came for vaccination as against targeted 3,150. In case of HCW, 2,631 (59.12%) turned up against target of 4,450.
Thus, 3,937 (57.61%) FLW of total 6,834 took the jab in last two days. In Bhandara district, 58 FLW had taken the vaccine on February 3, taking the total to 3,995.
The turnout will be even less as the authorities do scheduling for 120-150 beneficiaries at all centres. The achievement is calculated considering target of 100 per centre.
In city, only 223 (44.6%) of targeted 500 FLW turned up in the last two days.
The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) had started vaccination of its FLW at two centres on February 5 when 98 (49%) of targeted 200 beneficiaries took the jab.
On Saturday, the FLW turnout was 41.67% as 125 out of 300 turned up for the inoculation. At NMC’s two centres, 70 (35%) of targeted 200 took the jab while 55 (55%) of targeted 100 took vaccine at the centre started separately for policemen at police department-run hospital on Saturday.
Officials say Covid vaccination is a voluntary exercise and the turnout will increase in the coming days. “We are creating awareness about vaccination. Sufficient number of centres have started provided. Messages are being sent to beneficiaries followed by calls from control room as well as centres,” they said.
The NMC is likely to add one more centre for policemen on Monday.
In city, overall turnout was only 43.9% on Saturday out of targeted 1,900, 834 took the jab. The achievement was also less in centres in private hospitals which otherwise had surpassed 100% of the target in the last few days.
In a move to also cover those who did not turn up as per schedule, the government has allowed them on-the-spot vaccination.
NMC additional municipal commissioner Ram Joshi and medical officer Dr Sanjay Chilkar said, “Registered HCW can take vaccine at any centre and even in other districts if they are out of city. The government has now made such provisions in Co-WIN application,” they said.
Only one week is left for completion of first dose of HCW. Second (booster) dose is supposed to commence from February 15.