51.2% healthcare workers are fully vaccinated: BMC

Civic body directs ward officers to contact healthcare workers and check their vaccination status

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has directed all ward officers to contact respective healthcare workers and check their Covid-19 vaccination status. HCWs were amongst the first participants of the immunisation drive, which started on January 16. However, as per the data, of the 2,73,249 people registered as HCWs in Mumbai, barely 1,40,802 (51.2%) have taken both the shots and 1.89 lakh (70%) have received at least one dose. Officials believe there is a possibility of multiple or duplicate registrations and inflated figures.

Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner, said the BMC has made a list of HCWs who have missed their vaccination shots or have registered themselves with the two numbers on the CoWIN portal. Each of them will be contacted. “We don’t have the exact numbers of HCWs who have been vaccinated. There are multiple or duplicate registrations. With this initiative, we aim to vaccinate all HCWs. They are more prone to contracting the virus and can be a risk to the patients,” he said.

Dr Ramesh Bharmal, dean of BYL Nair Hospital, believes more than 90% HCWs have received both the shots. “There will be a miniscule number that haven't taken the vaccine. But we don’t know exactly how many,” he said.

Senior health experts said there is a need to understand how many HCWs have been fully unvaccinated so far. “The civic body should not only make a list of HCWs, but also search for all those who have missed taking the first dose or have been waiting for the second dose,” he said.