MANGALURU: With private medical colleges and institutions demanding more time to get into the second phase of Covid-19 vaccination that commenced on Monday, only government hospitals and taluk hospitals will be vaccinating people, over 60 years also above 45 years with co-morbidities, from Tuesday. On Monday, 39 persons received vaccination at District Government Wenlock Hospital.
Dr B V Rajesh, reproductive and child health (RCH) officer, Dakshina Kannada district told TOI they (private institutions) have sought two days time to decide as they want to consult with administrators/ managements regarding joining the vaccination drive. There are 32 empanelled private hospitals in the district which can participate in the vaccination programme.
`We have already started vaccination at Wenlock Hospital where there was one session in which 39 people were vaccinated from 2.30pm to 5 pm. From Tuesday onwards, there will be four sessions at taluk hospitals of Puttur, Bantwal, Belthangady and Sullia. After another two days, community health centres will be roped in for sessions and thereafter, it will be extended to all PHCs in the district,’’ said Dr Rajesh. He hoped by that time if the private medical colleges and hospitals agree, they too will be added to the sessions, thereby increasing the penetration of the vaccination drive. On Monday, J G Gonsalves, 99, chief traffic warden of Mangaluru was vaccinated with Covishield by Shashikala, nursing officer at Wenlock Hospital.
On Monday, all vaccinated were registered patients and there were no walk-ins, he said. Health Officials on Monday trained private college personnel on how to create sessions, online and onsite registration, and how to handle the apps. Earlier there was only pre-registration and no onsite or online registration.
Dr Rajesh said: Earlier, in Phase I, we used to register and create sessions, now private institutions have to create their own sessions as we cannot do it our level,’’ he said adding they have been allocated 1.16 lakh doses for three districts namely Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Chikkamagaluru.
In Dakshina Kannada District, health authorities estimate that about 2.3 lakh senior citizens, 10% of the population, are eligible to receive Covid 19 vaccine.