Mass vaccination drives draw remarkable response

Slots getting filled within a few minutes

For a cause: TSRTC employees waiting to receive their shot at MGBS in the city on Sunday.

Corporate hospitals have started to conduct mass vaccination drives at gated communities, and work spaces in and around Hyderabad. And there is a high demand for these jab drives as booking slots in CoWin has become tough despite several days of try. The slots are getting filled in a few minutes from their availability in the website.

Such is the demand for the mass vaccination drives that corporate hospitals have pegged the potential beneficiaries through this form of immunization to around 10 lakh. The drives conducted by a few hospitals are booked for the next two to three weeks at least. It may be noted that the second dose of vaccination for people above 45 years is offered at government COVID-19 vaccination centres.

Costs for the mass vaccination varies from ₹1,000 to ₹1,500 per beneficiary depending on number of beneficiaries, hospital, type of vaccine, and other aspects.

Apart from the vaccine vials, a doctor, a nurse, and an ambulance would be made available at the mass vaccination drives.

Aster Prime Hospitals is one of the private health facilities that has initiated this form of vaccination at gated communities. They gave the jabs to 1,000 people at a drive held at PEBL City on Saturday, which continued on Sunday too.

CEO of the hospital K.T. Devanand said that volunteers from the gated community’s COVID Task Force managed responsibilities such as registration, and crowd management.

CARE Hospitals in Hyderabad is conducting such drives at work spaces. HCOO of the hospital in Banjara Hills Dr. Rahul Medakkar said that a critical care specialist or emergency doctor, and nurses are part of the vaccination team.

Around 35 firms have contacted Continental Hospital management to conduct the mass vaccination drives at their work spaces. “We have signed MoUs with some of them and started to conduct the drives at a few work spaces,” said CEO of the hospital Dr. Riyaz Khan.

Meanwhile, TSRTC on Sunday vaccinated many as 475 staff at the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS). Of these, 95 persons were above 45 years of age. The drive was also conducted at several other depots.