In marking 100 crore people being vaccinated in India, there was a massive celebration at civic-run Covid vaccination centres across the city on Thursday.
All healthcare workers and non-medical staff, who are the backbone of the mass immunisation drive, have received appreciation from doctors and citizens, praising their efforts for achieving this target.
However, city doctors believe there is still a long way to go until the entire population of Mumbai is not fully vaccinated.
One of the vaccinators from the BYL Nair hospital said it has been nine months since the vaccination drive started and it's going very smoothly compared to the initial three to four months when they faced several problems. Moreover, they had to manage beneficiaries and look after centres so that beneficiaries don't face problems and everyone gets inoculated.
"I am glad that I became a part of the mass immunisation drive, and it is a good experience, and this pandemic has taught me many things. But when the vaccination drive started, I was clueless about using the Cowin portal, which was very new for me, and I had to undergo training for three days before the drive started," said a nurse from the hospital.
Vaccinators had to go through a lot of trouble like handling the portal, updating beneficiaries names, etc. But things have become smooth, and many people have been vaccinated now.
Dean of BKC jumbo vaccine centre, Dr Rajesh Dere, said there were many ups and downs since the vaccination drive started. There have been instances when vaccine centres were shut down due to a shortage of doses which led to chaos.
"We have faced many problems though we have vaccinated the most number of beneficiaries at our centres which is itself is an achievement for my entire team and staff. But still, people need to come forward and take vaccination considering Covid is going to live with us for a lifetime," he said.
Dr Rahul Pandit, the director of Critical Care, Fortis Hospitals Mumbai and a member of the Supreme Court-appointed National Covid-19 Task Force, said today India had achieved a milestone. The world has taken note of our achievement, and that's truly a feat to be proud of.
Of these, approximately 71 per cent have received at least their first dose, and 29 per cent have received both doses. This tells us that we have made immense progress as a nation, that too in a short period.
"It is only a matter of time before vaccines are made available for children, which will further enhance the nation's vaccination drive. However, we still need to be cautious and cannot declare victory over the virus. That being said, we are better prepared to confront any challenge the pandemic poses to us now," he said.
