The dean of JJ Hospital in Mumbai, doctors, and former Maharashtra health minister Deepak Sawant were among the first beneficiaries to receive the COVID vaccine on the first day of the inoculation drive.

Dr Ranjit Mankeshwar, Dean, JJ Hospital, in Mumbai, and Dr Padmaja Saraf received the vaccine shots in Mumbai and at Jalna civil hospital, respectively. 

The inoculation drive is taking place at 285 centres in Maharashtra where 100 healthcare workers will be administered the shots in a day, and cover 28,500 workers, an official said.

On the day of the nationwide launch of the Covid-19 vaccination drive, Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned emotional recalling people`s sufferings during the pandemic, death of healthcare workers while serving the infected, and noted that many of those who died could not be given the traditional last rites.

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray launched the inoculation drive at a Covid care centre at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai.

"It is a revolutionary step we are taking today. I salute to the corona warriors who selflessly treated the Covid-19 patients when there was no remedy available," he told reporters.

In Pune, Dr Nitin Abhyankar (57) was among the first beneficiaries who received the vaccine.

"I feel extremely proud and happy that I could become the part of the inaugural inoculation drive that has started in the country to fight Covid-19," said Dr Abhyankar, who looked perfectly fine after receiving the jab.

The state has received 9.63 lakh doses of the Covishield vaccine and 20,000 doses of the Covaxin vaccine, which have been distributed to all the districts.

At JJ Hospital in Mumbai, a doctor didn`t take the vaccine dose as had developed some allergy in his eyes on Saturday, which is not related to inoculation, doctors said.

As coronavirus vaccines reached Mumbai`s Cooper Hospital on Saturday morning, dozens of health workers clapped and cheered the "vaccine carrier" staff.

With `arti` thalis and sweets, the staff of the hospital waited outside the facility to welcome the first beneficiaries of the vaccination drive.

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