Mumbai: Cooper hospital says unsure of coming days

Cooper authorities have put up a pandal outside the vaccination centre to provide a spacious waiting area

AMID reports of chaos over the suspension of the vaccination drive at many centres across Mumbai on Friday, R N Cooper Hospital did not upset those who turned up at its premises for the jabs. Citizens said they had to wait for about two hours for their turn, but the entire process was well managed. The inoculation unit at the Bandra hospital did see a larger crowd after many from other centres reached there.

There were two separate queues for walk-ins and those who had registered online and taken appointments. This made it easier for the staff to manage the load. Learning from the chaos in the initial days of vaccination for senior citizens, the hospital has set up a pandal outside the centre to provide a spacious waiting area.

If sources are to be believed, Cooper had over 1,300 doses in the morning, a little more than its daily average.

Krishna Padhye, 49, who got the jab at the hospital, had registered online but not taken an appointment. "Even though I have been waiting for over an hour, I did not face any problem as everything is properly managed and we were informed that we would be vaccinated."

Another beneficiary, Rumani Shethia, 46, said, "Today the rush seems a little more than before as when my husband and friends had come to get vaccinated they did not face long queues. But we are happy that we will be vaccinated as there is so much chaos at other centres."

Hospital dean Dr Pinakin Gujjar, said they are not sure how the scene will be in the coming days. "If we are out of stock, I will put up a huge board outside the hospital informing the beneficiaries coming in."

Cooper authorities also asked people to not panic saying vaccines will be made available by the government and that the efforts were on to procure more stock at the earliest.

1,300 - Approx no. of doses with Cooper on Friday