Huge turnout witnessed in Mumbai as vaccine centres resume operation

In a relief to Mumbai residents, vaccination at most of the inoculation centres that were closed down last week due to shortage of vaccines resumed on Monday. People were seen queing up in large numbers at the 114 centres, out of the total 135 centres in the city, to receive the anti-Covid shots.

While most of the civic-run centres resumed inoculation on Monday morning, the private centres began the drive late afternoon after a delay in receiving the vaccine stock.

In Mumbai, a large number of people were seen gathered outside the Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivali, where police had to step in to manage the crowd. Similar crowds were witnessed at Dahisar Jumbo facility and Nesco centre in Goregaon.

“Some private centres are expected to start with a slight delay. In addition to these, few more CVCs (Covid vaccination centres) are collecting their stocks and will be functional by tomorrow (Tuesday),” the civic body tweeted.

Due to shortage of vaccines, more than half of the vaccination centres in the city were shut last week, with preference being given to those coming for the second dose over those arriving for their first shot.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Sunday received 1.5 lakh doses of Covishield and 8,000 doses of Covaxin. The BMC said the current stock will last for three days till April 28. Phase 3 of vaccination will commence from May 1.

Due to the closure of a majority of centres, the number of citizens being inoculated in a day had last week dropped to 20,000-30,000 from 50,000.

There are 135 vaccination centres in the city — 45 at civic-run hospitals, 17 in state government-run hospitals and 73 at private hospitals.

Till Monday, the BMC had vaccinated 3.93 lakh people with both doses and 18.89 lakh people with just the first dose.