Vidarbha population double Pune district, equal vaccination for both

NAGPUR: Covid-19 vaccination could not happen at 121 of the 122 centres run by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) on Sunday due to lack of doses of Covishield. Data of the state’s public health department (PHD) revealed 11 districts of Vidarbha received 2.42 lakh doses of Covishield while Pune district alone got 2,48,280 doses since resumption of inoculation for the 18-44 age group.
The demand for vaccination increased with resumption of inoculation for 18-44 age group on June 23. On June 24, the state had supplied 1,75,500 doses of Covishield for the entire region whereas 1,73,970 doses for Pune district.

Due to shortage of doses, 96% of centres were closed in the city on June 25.
The region recovered second lot of 66,500 doses on Sunday and Pune district got 74,310 doses.
Nagpur district received 24,000 doses of which 14,500 were delivered to the NMC for the city.
NMC will resume vaccination at 122 centres on Monday but it is likely to run out of stock in the first half. A day ago, 28,012 people had taken the jab at NMC centres. Therefore, 14,500 doses are as good as 50% of day’s requirement. Inoculation will be affected on Tuesday in case fresh stock is not received on Monday.
As per data of PHD, population of Pune district is estimated at 1.17 crore. Population of Vidarbha region is 2.55 crore. The region has registered 10.96 lakh Covid-19 positive cases and 20,173 deaths till June 26. Pune district’s cases are 10.5 lakh and fatalities- 16,551.
Ex-CM and leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis told TOI, “This is absolutely biased distribution and against Vidarbha. It should not exist atleast where lives of people are involved. I will ask the government why such discrimination is being done.”
Guardian minister Nitin Raut said, “I have demanded 3.5 lakh doses per day for the district. We should at least get 3.5 lakh doses in a week. But the central government is not supplying sufficient number of doses,” he said.
Raut said he has raised issue of more allocation to Pune district with officials of PHD and will take it up at state-level.
Director of state health services Dr Archana Patil said, “Allocation of doses was as per population of districts in initial stage. Then, the system changed to caseload. Now, doses are allotted as per performance of last three days. There is no discrimination.”
In government centres, 43,538 doses were given on June 26, 35,469 on June 24 and 40,239 on June 23, for a total of 1,19,246. Vaccination did not happen in 96% centres in the city on Friday for shortage of doses. Average of three days comes to 39,749. The district received 24,000 doses on Sunday.
Gadchiroli district did not receive doses in last two lots despite vaccination has continued in this tribal-dominated district. In Pune district 35,18,557 people were vaccinated on June 26 and number of beneficiaries was 47,30,691 in the region. Thus, 29.95% of total population of Pune district has been vaccinated whereas 18.54% in the region.
On Sunday, 153 took the jab at GMCH and 3,356 in nine private centres for a total of 3,509 in the city. National Cancer Institute at Jamtha became ninth private centre to start paid inoculation.
Number of beneficiaries dropped to 4,050 in rural areas on Sunday. Thus, total vaccination was 7,559 in the district on Sunday as against record 45,839 a day ago.