The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is hoping to complete vaccination of all healthcare workers registered in the first phase in a week. A total of 1.82 lakh healthcare workers have been registered to be vaccinated in the first phase. However, the percentage of coverage was 65% on Saturday and 58% on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters after inspecting vaccination sites at Manipal Hospital on Sunday, BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad said that, on Monday, vaccinations will be taken up in the civic body’s 141 PHCs (primary health centres), 106 private hospitals and nine medical colleges in the city.
“There are 7,300 beneficiaries under the 141 PHCs, 42,000 beneficiaries who are staff of 106 private hospitals and around 28,000 beneficiaries of the nine medical colleges,” he said.
Claiming that vaccination of 7,300 beneficiaries under the 141 PHCs would most likely be completed on Monday, he said it may take at least five days to cover staff of the private hospitals.
On Sunday, the vaccine was administered in these locations from 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. According to information provided, at the 41 sites in Manipal Hospital for 4,055 beneficiaries, 2,704 were vaccinated. Of the 700 beneficiaries at St. Philomena Hospital and Nursing College, 165 were vaccinated at seven sites. Vaccinations were taken up in 14 sites at Baptist Hospital for 1,376 beneficiaries, of whom 758 were vaccinated. Of the 98 beneficiaries at the BBMP’s Maternity Hospital in Cox Town, 32 were vaccinated.
Mr. Prasad justified the percentage of coverage saying, “58% is not less, especially given that it is a Sunday. Some of the reasons for beneficiaries not turning up could be that some are still in the wait and watch mode, some may be travelling, a few are on leave on the weekend after Sankranti festival. It could also be that some may be ineligible for the vaccine because of fever or other health ailments. Another reason could be that mobile numbers are wrong and some people could not be informed.”
He, however, said he would discuss with the hospital administrations with regard to improving coverage. “We have received 1.05 lakh doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. We have registered a total of 1.82 lakh healthcare workers to be vaccinated in the first phase. More vaccines are likely to be allocated to BBMP by the State government when the second batch arrives shortly,” he said and added that hopefully, the healthcare workers would all be covered in a week’s time.
The civic chief reiterated that apart from technical issues, no other problems were encountered. To counter the technical issues, the health department had given the BBMP permission to take up some processes manually. “Due to certain issues, we were able to send messages to just around 475 beneficiaries, of whom 345 were vaccinated,” he said.
H. Sudharshan Ballal, chairman of the Medical Advisory Board of Manipal Hospitals Group, told reporters that they were hoping to cover 80% of their staff. “I took the first dose of the vaccine on Saturday. The vaccine is safe. There is no need for any misconception or fear,” he said, and urged citizens to not believe rumours.
He said despite the vaccine, citizens must continue to wear masks, maintain social distancing and regularly wash and sanitise their hands.
