Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - Live
15% of eligible Thane population fully jabbed
TMC records show 55.64% inoculated with first dose; demand to get fully vaccinated increases
THANE: In Thane city, 55.64% of the people are vaccinated at least with the first dose. Thane Municipal Corporation records show that from among the eligible population of 15 lakh, around 8.3 lakh have been jabbed with the first dose. Among these, around 2.2 lakh that constitutes 15% of the eligible population, are fully vaccinated till now.
Due to the shortage of vaccine doses, Thane city has not conducted any government vaccination drive over the last two days.
Along with this, a slight decline in the number of people coming forward for private vaccination is also seen within the city. In July, more than 26,496 were vaccinated in private vaccination centres in the first seven days while in August, 23,963 were jabbed on 11 days at private vaccination centres. The fake vaccination scam that occurred in a housing society in Kandivli and the unaffordable vaccine prices could be some of the reasons for more people opting for government vaccinations.
In TMC, 5.5 lakh were vaccinated in government centres and 2.8 lakh in private centres.
Dr Amol Gitte, medical director, Sidhivinayak Hospital, Thane, said, “We have an adequate supply of vaccines currently. However, compared to the previous months, the number of people getting vaccinated has come down. In June, there were around 3,000 vaccinations per day. However, in August we are only vaccinating around 300 per day. Similarly, initially we used to get around 25 to 30 calls from housing societies and we used to conduct drives in around eight societies per day. Now, there are hardly any such calls or drives conducted.”
The city has 85 private vaccination centres, out of which 20 to 25 centres are operational.
Meanwhile, in government centres, the response is better this month. While 25,188 were vaccinated in the first week of July, between August 1 and 11, 33,551 were vaccinated.
“With the new relaxation rules, the demand to get fully vaccinated has increased. Depending on the doses that we receive, we are trying to distribute it to all centres including mobile vaccination units,” said Dr Khushboo Tawri, medical officer, TMC.
In mid-June, a fake vaccination scam that took place in a housing society in Kandivli has also led to many housing societies refusing to conduct such vaccination drives anymore. “While most high rises or plush societies have already completed their vaccination drives, not many trust private vaccination facilities anymore. People prefer government vaccination to private ones. This must have also led to a shift in mindset,” said Kasber Augustine, president, Thane Citizens Foundation.
According to those working in private vaccination centres, the increased vaccination prices could be the reason for fewer people coming forward. “A family of four will have to shell out more than ₹3,000 which is expensive for many families. Those who can afford come to private hospitals themselves for the vaccination drive. The unemployed or those staying in single building residences or are from lower economic backgrounds have no option but to prefer government centres,” said a doctor from a private centre.
The serpentine queues have
More than 70% of the overall population within Thane District is yet to be vaccinated. Till now, only 28,32,755 have been vaccinated. This constitutes 28.49% of the people with one dose within the district. The district has an approximate target of 99,42,407 people eligible for vaccination. Earlier, doses arrived two or three times in a week but the consistency has reduced to three times in 20 days. “These meagre number doses have led to long waiting period, serpentine queues and restlessness among the people,” said an officer from the District Health Department.