A total of 100 beneficiaries would be vaccinated at each centre on the first day. (Representational) The first 800 beneficiaries of Covid-19 vaccine in the city will be selected through randomisation, with the selected frontline workers having an option to refuse the vaccine.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) would administer the dose to first beneficiary at around 11 am after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches the nationwide drive on Saturday. “The PMC will start the vaccine drive in the city at Kamla Nehru hospital at around 10 am. The first beneficiary will be administered the dose only after the Prime Minister officially launches the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive,” said Mayor Murlidhar Mohol.
The civic administration had earlier informed that the Covid-19 vaccination drive would begin at 9 am and completed by 5 pm. The PMC has decided to start the drive at eight hospitals, including four government and as many private hospitals. A total of 100 beneficiaries would be vaccinated at each centre on the first day.
“The vaccination drive is being implemented as per the guidelines of the Union government. The beneficiaries will be decided through randomisation on the CoWIN app, where the beneficiaries have been registered for the vaccine,” said Rubal Agarwal, additional municipal commissioner.
The PMC has registered around 55,000 beneficiaries from medical field on the CoWIN app for the vaccine. “The beneficiaries will be communicated on their mobile phone on their selection for getting vaccinated along with timing and place of vaccine delivery. However, the selected beneficiary have an option to refuse it,” she said, adding that the civic body would select a few doctors in the list of first beneficiaries in order to send a positive message in the public about the vaccine.
The vaccination drive in the city would be conducted at Kamla Nehru hospital, Rajiv Gandhi hospital, Jayabai Nanasaheb Surat maternity home, Sassoon General Hospital, Ruby Hall Clinic, Noble hospital, Deenanath Mangeshkar hospital and Bharati hospital.
Of the 55,000 beneficiaries registered for vaccine from the medical field, 11,500 are from government organisations. The PMC has received around 48,000 doses and considering 10 per cent wastage, the available doses would meet the requirement of 22,000 persons as each beneficiary has to be given two doses of vaccine at a gap of 28 days. The civic body is expected to get more doses from the government in the coming days, Agarwal said.
