Mumbai: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation will be conducting a vaccination drive today (May 1) for all registered beneficiaries between 18 and 44 years of age. According to civic officials, five vaccine centres – BYL Nair, Cooper, SevenHills and Rajawadi Hospitals and the BKC Jumbo Vaccine Centre – will be holding the vaccination drive for all adults. However, there will be no vaccination drive for citizens above 45 years of age.
Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani said they had received 20,000 doses of Covishield, which had been distributed to five vaccine centres in the city. However only registered beneficiaries would be eligible to get their shot at these centres. “We have decided to conduct a vaccination drive only for registered beneficiaries between 18 and 44 years of age. There will be no walk-ins,” he said.
Vaccinations on Saturday and Sunday will only be for this group, while the 45-plus category will be vaccinated whenever new vaccine stocks arrive.
Soon, beneficiaries will be able to get an ambulance from a nearby private hospital at their doorstep offering vaccination after the state government opens up vaccination for all adults.
Dr Gautam Bhansali, chief coordinator of private hospitals for vaccination and Covid, said, “Every private hospital has an ambulance service. It will go to nearby housing societies, corporate offices and workplaces and hold the vaccination drive. Each ambulance will have a doctor and two nurses and will be equipped with required medication. In case of an emergency post-vaccination, the person can be shifted to the hospital in the same ambulance.”
Dr Bhansali added that presently, 76 private hospitals had permission to administer Covid vaccines. Plans are afoot to increase this number. “Permission will be given to 29 more hospitals. There is also a plan to let all hospitals handling Covid cases give the vaccine,” heal said.