Mumbai: To boost COVID-19 vax drives, BMC to hold camps, use vans

After successfully controlling the third wave of COVID-19, the BMC doesn’t want to leave any stone unturned vis-à-vis its vaccination drives.

Pulling out all the stops, the civic body has been targeting senior citizens, bed-ridden patients, the transgender community and auto-rickshaw and tax drivers since it started the drive in January last year. With the third wave waning, it has now decided to use mobile vans to achieve a 100 per centtargetin the city.

The civic body will also hold camps in all wards in the coming days. Confirming the development, additional municipal commissioner Suresh Kakani said, “As of now, 115 per cent of the city’ population (including the floating population) has taken the first dose and 97 per cent beneficiaries have taken their second dose.

To complete the remaining three per cent, we have decided to approach them directly instead of waiting for them to come to us.” Kakani said if the number of potential beneficiaries are more in a certain ward, the BMC will organise camps. “We have approached Ganesh mandals, dahi handi mandals and krida (activity) groups for help.

If they assure us that they will bring 50-100 people, we will arrange camps, otherwise, we will use mobile vans,” he said, adding that the BMC has six vans belonging to NGOs, which can be increased depending on the need. Since January 16, 2021, when mass vaccination began across the country, Mumbai has administered the first dose to over 1.56 crore beneficiaries, while over 89 lakh have taken the second dose.

Experts said the third wave driven by the Omicron variant was less severe because of vaccination and it’s the only way to avert future health crisis.