Queues await students as drive continues at 3 centres from Monday to Wednesday; BMC to give preference to those living within its limits
The special drive has started to help students as many countries do not allow students without vaccination. Pic/Ashish Raje
Students planning to go abroad for higher studies will have to brace for chaos and long queues at the three vaccination centres marked for them as the BMC is not keen to add more inoculation points for the pupils.
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The drive will continue from Monday to Wednesday at Kasturba, Rajawadi and Cooper hospitals and each centre will get 300 doses a day for students. The hospital staff said the drive will leave them stressed since they also have to cater to walk-in beneficiaries above 45 years of age for the second dose.
The civic body started a special vaccination drive last week to help students pursue education abroad since many countries do not allow students who are not vaccinated. So far, Cooper has seen huge crowds, with many returning without a jab. A doctor from Cooper said, “There is too much chaos as students turn up at once. Initially, the doses were fewer which had to be gradually increased. We were hoping more centres would be opened as students from Borivali are also in the queue along with Bandra residents. If they can add one more centre in north Mumbai, we can hope for less crowd here.” Civic officials said 300 doses per centre a day will be enough. It has also unofficially informed the centres to give priority only to students living within BMC limits.
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A senior civic official said, “We are prioritising those from our jurisdiction and turning back those coming from outside city limits as we do not want to give them the vaccine leaving our students aside. We may give them the doses only if vaccines are still left after inoculating students from BMC areas.”
Civic officials said they had reserved 900 doses last Wednesday but the turnout was less than that. As of now, they don’t intend to increase the stock for students.
300
No. of daily doses each centre to get
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