BMC to let pvt hospitals vaccinate their in-house HCWS
MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to allow a handful of the shortlisted major private hospitals to vaccinate their in-house healthcare workers (HCWS) in the hospital premises. The civic body has also conducted audits of 15 of 20 shortlisted private hospitals and a final report is yet to be tabled for approval before granting them permission to conduct the drive.
As HT reported earlier, BMC in the last week of January had sent a Google Form —‘Private Hospital Covid-19 vaccination preparedness checklist’ — asking authorities to upload data of their infrastructure facilities. BMC’S move followed a proposal by the Association of Hospitals (AOH), a trust of private hospitals, to allow private hospitals to vaccinate their staffers inside their premises. Of the 100 private hospitals who submitted their details for approval, 20 have been shortlisted.
BMC also plans to include the selected private hospitals for the third phase of the mass immunisation programme, in which citizens above the age of 50 and those with comorbidities will be inoculated. “This will be a stepping stone for private hospitals. Once they successfully vaccinate their hospital staff, we can allow them to start immunising the public in the third phase,” said additional civic commissioner Suresh Kakani.
Most major private hospitals such as Bombay Hospital, Hinduja, Hiranandani and Lilavati, among others, have shown interest in conducting the inoculation programme. However, the final list of hospitals is yet to be prepared. “I am yet to get the final audit report of the hospitals. Once I get it, I will be able to put a seal on the names,” he added.
Most major private hospitals have over 2,000 HCWS, and claimed they have the adequate infrastructure to conduct mass immunisation within their premises. “On a daily basis, our nurses vaccinate people. We just have to inform and educate the nurses about the amount of doses to be given,” said Dr V Ravishankar, chief operating officer, Lilavati Hospital, Bandra.
Doctors said their inclusion in the immunisation programme will help boost the overall turnout of the probable beneficiaries. “We can contribute in attaining almost 100% turnout in phase one,” added Dr Ravishankar.
Dr Sujit Chatterjee, chief executive officer of LH Hiranandani Hospital, Powai, had earlier stated, “Only about 25% of HCWS go to the centre, but if vaccination is held within the premises of each major hospital then the turnout could be 75%-80%.”
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