Mumbai: BMC, private hospital to give 35K jabs door-to-door

In order to help the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) inoculate every single Mumbaikar against Covid-19, Surana Sethia Hospital, Chembur, will launch a special vaccination drive this weekend. Its staff will visit societies and colonies to administer doses free of cost. The hospital will be holding the drive as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Dr Prince Surana, the CEO of Surana Sethia Hospital who will be anchoring the drive by providing logistical support, said, "The hospital, along with its two ambulances and 20 employees, plan to visit societies and colonies and vaccinate people free of cost."

The hospital has set aside about 35,000 anti-Coronavirus vaccine doses for the special drive and they plan to start by this weekend. Though the starting point has not been finalised yet, Dr Surana said the trips will be pre-planned and involve local corporators and NGOs.

A health worker inoculates a senior citizen at his residence on August 2. Pic/AFP

"The local corporators, NGOs and ward officers will help spread the word of our presence in the society/locality along with time. This will help the people plan their day's schedule to get the vaccine," he said. According to the BMC's data, one-fourth of the housing societies in the city have received fully vaccinated certificates. The city has more than 37,000 societies, of which around 10,000 have got the status.

‘Aim to cover homeless'

Dr Gautam Bhansali, chief coordinator for all private hospitals for vaccination and Covid-19, whose NGO is one of the four sponsors of the drive, said they are aiming to vaccinate homeless people as well. "The vaccine-on-wheels will allow us to reach out to people who have not been covered yet, like those living on the streets and daily wage earners, etc.," he said.

Talking about how they will deal with vaccine hesitancy during the drive, Rajul Patel, corporator and chairperson of BMC's health committee, said that people are convinced when the benefits of the Covid-19 vaccine are explained to them.

"As per my observation and experience, the majority of the people who have not taken the vaccine are convinced once someone approaches them and speaks to them about the benefits. The door-to-door vaccine drive will help us reach such people who need a push to take the vaccine. The local corporators and social workers will play a key role in convincing people," she said.

20
No. of employees Surana Sethia will provide for the drive

35,000
No. of doses set aside by hospital for the drive