Hsg societies rush to pvt hosps for vax

MUMBAI: While Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has expressed its inability to start door-to-door vaccination in absence of guidelines from the state government, several housing societies and private establishments in the city are approaching private hospitals in the city to set up vaccination camps on their premises.

Private hospitals like Fortis, HN Reliance, Nanavati and Apollo Hospitals are receiving a significant number of queries for setting up vaccination camps for residents of housing societies or employees of private establishments.

The BMC had on May 10 issued a circular allowing vaccination sessions for housing societies and private establishments for those above 18 years of age. The vaccination would be on a payment basis and the payment per vaccine would need to be mutually decided by the private centre (hospital) and private establishments/housing societies, as per the BMC guidelines.

A spokesperson for Fortis Hospital said, “We have received several requests from housing societies and workplaces to begin Covid-19 vaccination drive for its residents and employees. Following the local municipal guidelines, we are working on the logistics that will be needed to initiate these camps.”

Dr Santosh Shetty, executive director, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital said, “We are in touch with corporate house and housing societies for the administration of Covid vaccines, and we will start it once we get a fresh stock by month-end.” Meanwhile, the BMC has decided that vaccination will be done on a walk-in basis for three days for those above 60 years of age between Monday to Wednesday and appointment basis between Thursday to Saturday, while the vaccination drive will remain shut on Sunday.

Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner of the BMC said, “For next week we will continue walk-in vaccination for those above 60 years of age, but in the week after that, we might change our policy.”