Nearly 5,000 persons in the 18 and above age group were administered the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine over the weekend. The vaccination programme for this age group had started in Pune district on May 1 at 19 centres including two in Pune city, three in Pimpri-Chinchwad and the remaining in Pune Rural. On Monday, 2,507 beneficiaries in the 18-44 age group were administered the vaccine.
Dr Sanjay Deshmukh, assistant director of health, Pune circle, said they were expecting the next batch of Covid-19 vaccine doses to arrive by late Tuesday evening. The initial lot of 20,000 doses of Covishield vaccine has been distributed to civic health authorities in Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune Rural administration three days ago.
Pune Municipal Corporation Immunisation Officer Dr Suryakant Deokar said the vaccine appointments were scheduled as per the online registrations. “Only a limited number of appointments are scheduled daily and this process will go on till May 7,” he said.
In the city, those in the 18 + age group are directed to apply for online registrations and seek appointment for the vaccine shot between 11 am and 4 pm at Kamala Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi hospitals, run by PMC.
Dr Deshmukh said while doses were limited, they were administering the vaccine to walk-in beneficiaries in the 45 and above age group, and for those who had registered on the CoWin app at government centres in the district. “There are 400 such government-run centres in Pune,” he said.
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On Monday, a total of 178 beneficiaries in the 45-59 age group got the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine while 181 beneficiaries in the 60 years and above age group got their second dose. Across the district, only 12 healthcare workers and 36 frontline workers got the first dose on Monday.
No doses for the 45+ age group in private hospitals
Vaccinations, however, have come to a standstill across private hospitals with second dose beneficiaries subjected to a longer waiting period.
“We have no doses at all. Second dose beneficiaries have been told to wait. There is no Covishield or Covaxin dose with us,” said Dr H K Sale, executive director of Noble Hospital.
Whatever stock was with the private hospitals has been sent back to civic health authorities for administering the dose at their centres, said Dr Sanjay Patil, chairman of Indian Medical Association’s Hospital Board of India, Pune Chapter.
Dr Subhash Salunkhe, technical advisor to the state on Covid-19, said the inadequate supply of doses has put state authorities in a tough position. “We will land in serious trouble if we do not have adequate doses,” he said.
Till now, Pune district has vaccinated 22.94 lakh beneficiaries.
