Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar carries out surprise inspection at hotel offering Covid vaccination package

MUMBAI: Mayor Kishori Pednekar on Sunday carried out a surprise inspection at an Andheri hotel which was offering Covid vaccination package and found that vaccines were stored in a normal fridge instead of specialised cold storage facilities that are needed to keep vaccines.
Pednekar said that this was in violation of norms and has asked BMC officials to check the details of the hospital which was carrying out vaccination at the hotel.
Pednekar visited The Lalit Hotel in Andheri East along with BMC officials and said that BMC officials would submit a detailed report to her.
“I have found that vaccines were kept in a normal fridge. There is a tie-up between the hotel and Criticare Hospital which is the vaccinating agency. The hospital bought the vaccine doses as per the central government rules but the BMC is not aware of this hotel vaccination centre. They are vaccinating people as part of corporate vaccination. But I’m concerned about the fridge where the vaccines were kept. If the temperature is not maintained then the vaccine may lose efficacy. Cold storage facilities were not properly maintained,” Pednekar said.
“The hotel management said that The Lalit Hotel got a proposal from the hospital that people can be vaccinated at the hotel. They have said that those people, who do not have a family to look after following the vaccination, can stay in the hotel after getting a jab. 500 people have been vaccinated at the title already. Many corporate companies have sent their employees. I have asked BMC officials to check if all the rules were followed and if this type or arrangement is allowed,” Pednekar said.
The Lalit Hotel management did not respond to a query from TOI.
The central government had warned hotels against offering stay-vaccination packages after reports that some hospitality sector players had started coming up with these schemes. Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan had tweeted: “Hotels offering Covid-19 vaccination packages shall face strict legal action! Such activities are in contravention to rules under the national Covid vaccination program and must cease immediately.