Pimpri-Chinchwad industries want doorstep Covid-19 vaccination for factory workers

Small and medium scale industries in Pimpri-Chinchwad have demanded Covid-19 vaccination drives within their premises to ensure all of their workers are fully vaccinated. Abhay Bhor, president of the Forum of Small Scale Industries, said around 50 per cent of the employees are yet to get their second dose.

The emergence of the Omicron variant of coronavirus has brought the focus back on vaccination. Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad have seen good vaccination coverage but the percentage of people who are fully vaccinated is not that high. Bhor said most industrial workers are in the age group of 18-45 years and had got their first dose late. “Most of the 12-14 lakh workers in the various small and medium scale industries have got their first dose and around 50 per cent of them are yet to get their second dose,” he said.

Over the last week, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has started a special door-to-door vaccination drive. “Our Forum wants such a drive to be done at the industrial area. We have been asking for a special vaccination centre only for the industrial workers since the start of the drive but that did not happen,” he said.

Bhor pointed out the advantage of an exclusive drive for the industrial worker would vaccinate the most mobile population of the area. Given the slack in infection rates and easy availability of vaccines, the centres have not seen much of a rush. But the vaccination slots are available only during the working hours of the industrial units. “Instead, if the vaccination comes near to them it would be of immense help to the workers,” he said.