Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, May 2

While Covid cases continue to rise, the district is left with only 800 shots of vaccine.

With the state Health Department supplying no vaccine to the district for the past two days, only 1,604 beneficiaries could be vaccinated in the district today, said officials.

Sans vaccine, some centres had to tell the beneficiaries to turn back. The health officials said there was an unexpectedly high rush for vaccination, seemingly due to the rising Covid fatalities.

Sources said vaccination couldn’t be held at villages too.

A doctor, pleading anonymity, said: “People are scared, evidently due to rising Covid deaths. They want to get the vaccine at the earliest. We see people running from one centre to another to get jabbed.”

Officials in the Health Department said they would hold vaccination only at three centres on Monday.

Dr Venu Goyal, District Immunisation Officer, said they were left with around 800 doses of Covid vaccine in the district.

“We will inoculate beneficiaries on Monday with whatever stock we are left with. It is true that we have received no vaccine for the past two days.”

Rajindra Hospital records 35 deaths in 24 hours

The daily death toll at the Covid isolation facility of the Government Rajindra Hospital continues to be high. Around 35 patients had died at the isolation wing of the hospital over the past 24 hours. Of 35, only eight were from Patiala while 21 belonged to the other districts of the state. Around 102 patients have been admitted to the hospital over the past 24 hours and 17 discharged.

Vaccination only at three sites today

As there is a shortage of vaccine, inoculation will be held only at three sites, namely Government Mata Kaushalya Hospital and the community health centres of Model Town and Tripuri.