Pune: As govt facilities start free vaccination for 18-44 group, some pvt hospitals see fewer takers for paid vaccine doses

According to Dr Sachin Edke, Pune district immunisation officer, instructions have been issued to maintain vaccination sessions for both the 18-44 age group and those above 45.

Vaccination underway at Mavle hospital. (Express photo by Ashish Kale)

Some private hospitals in Pune have appealed to local residents, who can afford to pay for the Covid-19 vaccine, to get the jabs at their facilities. From Tuesday, vaccinations started free of cost for the 18-44 age group across centres run by the civic body. While it is early days yet, some large hospitals said they have seen a drop in footfall of beneficiaries, and some of them are now focusing on tie-ups with the corporate sector for workplace vaccinations.

At Noble Hospital, executive director Dr H K Sale said that the hospital was administering close to 3,000 vaccine doses daily and had placed orders with the vaccine manufacturer accordingly. “We have received another 12,000 doses and now will place orders if people want to take them in the private sector. It is important that those who are needy and economically challenged get their free doses at municipal corporation-run centres. There is already a price capping of both Covishield and Covaxin doses, so those who can afford to pay can take their jabs from private facilities,” said Dr Sale.

Dr Vijay Natarajan, CEO of Symbiosis Hospital, said hey were administering close to 2,000 vaccine doses daily in the 18-44 age group prior to the government making it free of cost. “We are noting a drop in the numbers. For instance, it would barely take seconds for people in this age group to book appointments on the Co-Win app once slots for 1,500 or 2,000 vaccine doses are opened up every day. However, now they remain open for several hours. Today, slots for 2000 vaccine doses were opened up but only 1,400 have been filled. By the end of the day, there would be only 1,000 who report for the vaccine doses,” said Dr Natarajan.

Close to 50,000 people in the 18-44 age group have been administered the Covid-19 vaccine dose at Symbiosis Hospital. “Walk-in beneficiaries are now being allowed at private hospitals in this age group and we will have to wait and watch before placing more orders,” said Dr Natarajan.

The hospital had placed an order of one lakh doses and received 12,000 doses as the first instalment over the last weekend. “We are also focusing on tie-ups with corporate firms for workplace vaccinations,” added Dr Natarajan.

At Ruby Hall Clinic, CEO Bomi Bhote said their main role was to treat people and vaccination was taken up to help authorities reach the maximum number of people. “We are catering to requirements in the corporate sector,” he said.

At Jehangir hospital, CEO Dr Vinod Sawantwadkar said the hospital has administered at least 61,000 vaccine doses till now. “We have set up a large facility, anticipating a huge crowd. Close to 4,000 doses were being administered. Another facility has also been set up at Dastur School and we are aiming to vaccinate another 50,000 beneficiaries. We have received 34,000 doses and will administer doses to walk-in beneficiaries, apart from those in the corporate sector. We are waiting for another 15,000 doses and then will check when to place a new order,” he said.

Story continues below this ad

According to Abrari Dalal, CEO of Sahyadri Hospitals, the hospital was able to administer 70,000 Covid vaccine doses across their five units at Deccan, Surya Sahyadri, Bibvewadi, Hadapsar and Nagar Road from May 22 till June 22. “So far, there has not been a marked change in footfall yet,” he added.

Authorities at Deenanath Hospital, however, said they were administering close to 3,000 vaccine doses daily. They said that there was a drop in the number of people seeking vaccines and while they had placed an order of 50,000 doses, they would utilise it accordingly for administering the second dose for beneficiaries.

Dr J Ravindranath, director at Poona Hospital, also said that there has been a drop in the number of people seeking vaccination at the facility. “We have not ordered huge quantities and are yet to receive 12,000 vaccine doses. However, whoever wants to get the dose can walk in at the hospital,” Dr Ravindranath said.

Meanwhile, Dr Suryankant Deokar, Pune Municipal Corporation immunisation officer, said that 54 dispensaries and hospitals were engaged in conducting free-of-cost vaccinations for the 18-44 age group. Of the beneficiaries, 70 per cent doses are given to those who have registered online, and 30 per cent is for walk-in ones, he said. There are a total of 184 vaccination centres in PMC areas, he said.

Story continues below this ad

According to Dr Sachin Edke, Pune district immunisation officer, instructions have been issued to maintain vaccination sessions for both the 18-44 age group and those above 45. Till June 21, Pune district has administered 38.05 lakh Covid vaccine doses, of which 34.38 lakh are Covishield doses while 3.57 lakh are Covaxin doses.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories