Here's how you will get your COVID-19 shot

A section that was used for accommodation of doctors has been converted into the vaccination centre at the BKC COVID centre

After 10 months of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in the city, the civic body conducted a successful dry run of the massive vaccination drive at three of its vaccination centres on Friday. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is expecting the central government to announce the dates for the actual exercise anytime in the coming two weeks. The BMC claimed on Friday that it is fully prepared for the inoculation drive and aims to vaccinate at least 2,000 to 2,500 people at each centre daily.

A mock-drill at Rajawadi hospital where a person is taken to the emergency section to manage adverse side effects. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

On the day of the dry run, mid-day visited the three designated centres - BKC COVID Center, Cooper hospital, Juhu and Rajawadi hospital, Ghatkopar where separate vaccination sections have been created. The vaccination zones have areas for waiting, an AEFI (adverse event following immunisation) monitoring room, an emergency room and a vaccination room. While the dry run was carried out only at three centres, the city has a total of eight vaccination centres. The first set of citizens to get immunised will be health workers.

Staff at Cooper hospital's vaccination facility during a dry run on Friday. Pic/Satej Shinde

People will be enrolled for the vaccine through the CoWIN application. The application will be accessed by health workers through a special password during inoculation. Registered health workers have to be present at the given centre at the appointed time, with their Aadhaar card. After vaccination, an auto-generated message will be received on their phones about the second vaccine shot 28 days later.

A nurse gets a supposed jab during the dry run at Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Cooper hospital
The BMC has prepared a model centre at R N Cooper Hospital where around 100 health workers, including doctors and nurses, have been trained and an area of around 10,000 square feet has been developed. The area used to be a dilapidated kitchen which was made a COVID care centre with 60 beds but was never used. The hospital aims to inoculate at least 2,400 people through their 10 teams at the centre.

A woman is taken to the emergency room during a mock drill on Friday. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

A doctor at the hospital said, "As it is a new vaccine, we have been instructed that there should be no lethargic attitude towards adverse effects, even if it is a fever. Hence, we will be telling all those who get inoculated to report effects immediately." Around 25 health workers from Cooper Hospital participated in the dry run that started at 9.30 am on Friday. The workers were pleased with the system. Doctors said they will have to be more vigilant and will be visiting the centre more often. The centre had 10 vaccination tables and also one emergency room with ICU facility.

The vaccination booths at Cooper hospital's centre. Pic/Satej Shinde

Cooper hospital's dean, Pinakin Gujjar, said, "We are aiming to give at least 100 vaccine shots every 30 minutes. Hand hygiene and masks are very important even after vaccination. People will be told about these things while they are leaving the premises. The dry run was organised properly. It did not disturb OPD service and there was no chaos."

BKC COVID Care Centre
The city's biggest COVID facility has one of its sections, earlier used as accommodation for doctors, converted into a vaccination centre. There is a dedicated section to store the vaccines and 15 vaccination rooms. Anticipating a high number of people for inoculation, ample parking space has also been created. Along with this, outside the centre, posters and banners have been placed for people to understand the procedure. Mumbai Mayor Kishori Kishori Pednekar also visited the centre on Friday. The doctors and staff explained to her the procedures to be followed before taking the vaccine.

Around 25 health care workers were selected for the dry run. A dedicated toll-free number has been established to clear people's doubts. Here too, the process of tokens would be followed. According to the doctors at the centre, it would operate for 16 hours daily with 15 nurses and 15 ward boys. It aims to vaccinate 2,000-2,500 people daily.

Rajawadi Hospital
The hospital's medical superintendent Vidya Thakur told mid-day that the vaccination centre's staff handled the crowd well. "We realised from the dry run that we need to focus on crowd management," Thakur said. The dry run began at 10 am and with the centre successfully simulating the vaccination of over 25 volunteers, mostly medical staff. The process followed an established template.

"We are setting up this separate unit, which will be fully ready by the time the vaccine arrives. It used to be a dilapidated shed but has been revived very well and. It will be fitted with a roof and more structures," Thakur said. "What we documented today was that the whole process for one person takes around 40 minutes. All aspects such as registration, vaccination, observation period have been taken into consideration and areas have been earmarked accordingly," said Dr Avinash Ankush from BMC's immunisation department, eastern suburbs.

The vaccination manual
Step 1: Register your name through Co-Win app
Step 2: Registered people who got confirmation lined up just before 10 am
Step 3: At the registration counter, details are verified with PAN or Aadhar cards
Step 4: A token number is issued
Step 5: Wait in the common or waiting area
Step 6: Proceed to vaccination booth once token no. is called. Identity would be manually verified, then cross-checked as per computer records. Doctor's name and numbers would be given in case of adverse reaction during the waiting period
Step 7: The nurse would administer the vaccine
Step 8: 30-minute waiting period in the observation room to monitor for adverse reactions
Step 9: If there are no side effects, proceed home. Monitor for side effects and visit a doctor if any occur

In case of emergency: Those facing adverse reactions would be taken to an emergency desk where body parameters would be checked and further action taken

A smooth process

Pooja Vilhekar, health professional, Rajawadi Hospital
‘The whole process was smooth. Emergency numbers were given and medical attention were prompt. The process is safe and simple and should work well when the actual vaccination programme starts'

Akanksha Vishwakarma, part of a mock drill of an emergency patient
‘I was taken on a wheelchair to the emergency room, where all my parameters were checked and remedies suggested'

Sunil Shankar Tawde, health worker
‘The dry run gives us confidence for the actual drive and shows the nitty-gritty of the process. I volunteered as a patient and went through the process to learn how it works, feels from the other side'

Pranjal Rai, intern doctor, Cooper hospital
‘I was the first to arrive so I did not have to wait long. We were informed about steps to take in case of side effects. Even fever for a few hours has to be reported to the doctor or back at the centre'

Priyanka Sonawane, clerical staff, Cooper hospital
‘I was informed that I am a part of the dry run the previous night. While getting vaccinated, I got an OTP which I had to give to the vaccinator. Then I was vaccinated'

2,500
Approx. no. of people each centre aims to vaccinate daily

- Rajendra Aklekar