Mismanagement, CoWIN app glitches continue at vaccination centres

Mismanagement, lack of coordination between vaccination centres and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and glitches on Co-WIN app continued to cause inconvenience to beneficiaries, aged above 45, who tried to get their second doses of vaccine on Saturday.

The beneficiaries complained that some centres refused to accept online appointments, while others turned them down, citing unavailability of stock.

In all, there are more than 150 vaccination centres across the city.

Amid chaos at the vaccination centres, the BMC discontinued walk-in vaccination and only those, who booked their appointments on Co-WIN app, were allowed to get a jab since Friday. However, an exception was given for health and frontline workers and those aged above 45 and due for the second dose of Covaxin.

On Saturday, many centres still witnessed huge crowds. People complained that despite having appointments on the app, they were turned away from the vaccination centres.

At Cama Hospital in south Mumbai, an elderly couple waited for eight hours to get inoculated despite having booked their slot for the 9 am-11 am session on Co-WIN app.

South Mumbai residents Arun Singh (54) and Savita Singh (49) reached Cama Hospital at 9 am but were made to sit for hours, while other beneficiaries were allowed to get their jabs ahead of them.

“While they were waiting for their turn at 11.41 am, my father got a message saying that they have been successfully vaccinated. But that was false and my father asked the staff many times when they would get inoculated, there was no reply. My parents kept waiting,” said Ankita Singh, daughter of Singh.

Ankita’s parents had got their first dose of Covishield on March 27. She added, “Finally, at 5.15 pm they got the vaccine. And surprisingly, another final vaccine certificate was sent to them.”

At Charkop Maternity Home, those with appointments were asked to take tokens.

“There is no coordination between what the BMC says and what the centres are doing. Today I had an appointment for my mother and after standing in queue for two hours, we were told that tokens will be given on first-come, first-serve basis,” said Nimish Desai, a city resident, on Twitter.

Another beneficiary, Ushma Kapadia, also complained of mismanagement at Charkop Maternity Home. She said many senior citizens were refused vaccination at the Charkop Maternity Home as the authorities were not accepting online appointments.

Executive Health Officer Dr Mangala Gomare said, “We expect to get about 40,000 doses of Covishield by tonight. So hopefully, the vaccination drive for above 45 years will continue. However, the stock of Covaxin has almost exhausted.”

On Saturday, total 58,906 people were vaccinated at 174 centres.

On mismanagement at vaccination centres, Dr Gomare said, “I will check the problem at the centres. We instructed all vaccine centres to allow people only if they have an appointment through Co-WIN app.”