City-based private hospitals can now inoculate their healthcare and frontline workers in their premises from next week. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday has finalised 15 private hospitals who have been given permission to start the vaccination centres on their campus.
Meanwhile, the civic body has received its third consignment of 2.60 lakh dosages on Friday. However, the private hospitals are awaiting for the official confirmation from the civic body which is likely to get on Saturday.
Last month, the Association of Private Hospitals had requested the state government and the BMC allowing them to set up vaccine centres in their campus following time taken by the healthcare workers (HCWs) will be reduced and a higher number of beneficiaries could be covered within a short span. Following which around 100 private hospitals have already submitted their details for permission to inoculate beneficiaries on their premises.
Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner, said, they have shortlisted 15 private hospitals for now in the city who have been fit in their criteria will be allowed to undertake vaccination for their healthcare and frontline workers (FLWs) from next week.
Meanwhile, they are scrutinising applications of more private hospitals, and this number will increase in the coming days.
“Currently we are managing civic-run hospitals for vaccination, but to speed up the drive we are allowing private hospitals to start vaccine centres in their campus so that they can inoculate their staff and save the time consumed in reaching our centres,” he said.
The civic body had given 15 questionnaires to the private hospitals which included questions such as “Are there three designated rooms for waiting, vaccination and observation?’, ‘Well-ventilated injection room available?’, ‘AEFI management faculty (ICU) available?’, "Availability of injection waste disposal bag/container at the session site," "Good network availability for use of CoWIN app," "Covid IEC display boards available at waiting rooms," among others.
“We are ready to facilitate the COVID-19 vaccination process at our hospital, for which we have already submitted the requisite form. We will train our staff as per the guidelines laid down by the government and we have around 2,000 HCWs and FLWs. However we are just waiting for official confirmation,” said Dr V Ravi Shankar, COO, Lilavati Hospital.