Many Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) wards are yet to kickstart the door-to-door Covid-19 vaccination drive for bedridden patients. The drive began in full force on Monday in the K East and K West wards. And, some wards initiated it a day later in a phased manner.
According to senior BMC officials, vaccinating patients at their doorstep requires manpower. They are taking time to ensure all the prerequisite arrangements are made before initiating the drive. "Such drives require manpower and logistics. Wards need to make arrangements for them. We are hopeful the drive would start in other wards too by next week," said Mangala Gomare, executive health officer of the BMC.
Asif Zakaria, senior corporator of H West ward, said that the ward office has initiated data collection and inoculation would begin by the end of this week. "We have circulated Google forms to the families that have registered for doorstep vaccination. The process of data collection is on. Once we collect it, the drive will resume," said Zakaria.
Similarly, another senior official of R South ward said that the drive will start in full force next week. "Our workers are working closely with all the corporators and are making a list of all the verified beneficiaries. As soon as the list is ready, we will begin the drive," the official said.
Kiran Dighavkar, assistant municipal commissioner and incharge of G North ward, said that the drive started in his ward on Tuesday. 22 people were administered the vaccine at their doorstep. "We have prepared a list of 320 beneficiaries and have roped in an NGO. We are confirming the patient’s details and providing it to the members of the NGO. They visit the house and administer the dose," Dighavkar said.
Prashant Gaikwad, assistant municipal commissioner and incharge of D ward, also said that the doorstep vaccination drive in this ward started on Tuesday. "We inoculated five patients on the first day. The numbers will increase, as we are able to increase the manpower," Gaikwad said.
