Ahead of D-Day, BMC gears up for second COVID-19 vaccination dry run

BMC’s cold storage facility in Parel can store up to six lakh doses of the vaccine. Pics/Ashish Raje

The much-awaited Covishield vaccine from the Serum Institute of India (SII) arrived in Mumbai around 5.30 am on Wednesday. The civic body has stored the first lot containing 1,39,500 doses of the vaccine in its Parel facility. Ahead of the first phase of vaccination for healthcare professionals on January 16, the civic body will be undertaking the second dry run on January 15.

Policemen outside the Parel facility where the Covishield vaccine is being stored

The vaccinations will be transported to the vaccination centres across hospitals and the COVID care centre in BKC on Saturday morning, the day the vaccination drive kicks off. After arrival, the vaccine doses were stored at the temporary cold storage facility in the F South ward office in Parel. The facility can store up to 6,00,000 doses. or the first phase, the BMC has registered 1,30,000 health workers on the CoWIN app developed for the vaccination drive by the central government.

In a statement issued on Wednesday morning, the BMC said, "First consignment of Covishield vaccine arrived in Mumbai, today (January 13, 2021) morning at 5.30 am in which BMC received total 1,39,500 doses of the vaccine from Serum Institute (Pune). The vaccine is being stored at the storage facility at F/South Ward Office situated in Parel, and will be delivered across the Mumbai at designated vaccination centres for national inoculation drive set on January 16."

The nine vaccination centres in Mumbai are located at four major hospitals - KEM Hospital, BYL Nair Hospital, R N Cooper Hospital and Sion hospital, four peripheral hospitals - Bhabha Hospital in Bandra, VN Desai Hospital in Santacruz, Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar and Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Hospital in Kandivli and the COVID care centre at Bandra-Kurla Complex. Around 200 doctors, over 100 nurses and around 500 volunteers will be working in the mass drive for 12 hours every day in two shifts of 8 am to 2 pm and 2 pm to 8 pm.

1.30L
Approx. no. of health care professionals registered for the first phase