Crowd highlights need for more centres Huge rush of senior citizens was witnessed at NMCs Indira Gandhi Rugnalaya on Wednesday for COVID-19 vaccine. (Pic by Anil Futane) Staff Reporter : COVID-19 vaccination to start at private hospitals in city from today Vaccination at private hospitals to be expanded in days to come says NMC THE crowding at limited number of designated centres in the city on Wednesday highlighted the need for starting more centres to administer vaccine against COVID-19. There are several private hospitals empanelled for implementation of Government health schemes and some of them have already been allowed to operate vaccination centres. Some more will be allowed in days to come once they meet the prescribed guidelines. However there are non-empanelled hospitals that served as vaccination centres for healthcare workers but are yet to get permission for vaccination of senior citizens. In the past couple of days COVID-19 vaccine has been administered to citizens above 60 years of age and those above 45 years of age with co-morbidities. Apart from 11 Government approved centres vaccination for these segments also started at KT Nagar Urban Primary Healthcare Centre of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) on Wednesday. As per NMC vaccination will start at private hospitals too from Thursday. Those availing of vaccine at approved private hospitals will have to pay Rs 250/- per dose. To get the vaccine however citizens in the aforesaid categories will have to register online. Only 25 persons will be allowed to get vaccine through offline mode. The private hospitals where vaccine will be administered from Thursday include Radiance Hospital Wardhaman Nagar; New Era Hospital Wardhaman Nagar; VIMS Hospital Kamptee Road; Arneja Hospital Baraskar Hospital and Sushrut Hospital in Ramdaspeth; Center Point Hospital Medical Square; CureIt Hospital Dighori Square; Hope Hospital Keshav Hospital Manewada; Medicare Hospital Mankapur Square; Kunal Hospital Chhindwara Road; Ikon Hospital Amravati Road stated a press release issued by NMC on Wednesday. Ram Joshi Additional Municipal Commissioner said that private hospitals were being allowed to administer vaccine once they get approval from the Government. At present permission is being given to hospitals empanelled under Mahatma Phule Jan Aarogya Yojana (MPJAY) of State Government; Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) and Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (PMJAY). “These private hospitals have to apply first with the respective Government agency and deposit the amount of money required for procurement of number of vaccine vials sought. Then they have to submit the receipt of online payment to NMC. Accordingly we distribute required number of vaccine vials to them. Later these hospitals have to report to us the number of vaccines administered etc” Joshi told The Hitavada. Already some of the private hospitals empanelled under MPJAY CGHS PMJAY have got permission and some more will get it soon he said. The other hospitals that have got approval for vaccination include Lata Mangeshkar Hospital (Sitabuldi); Rashtrasant Tukadoji Cancer Hospital Gillurkar Hospital Mogre Hospital Sengupta Hospital Midas Hospital and Spandan Hospital said Joshi. “We expect at least 10 more hospitals to be included in the list in days to come” he added. However there are several private hospitals that are not empanelled under MPJAY CGHS and PMJAY but have been designated as COVID Vaccination Centres for healthcare workers. In Mumbai permission has been granted to some of such private hospitals meeting the norms like availability of 200-plus beds having multispeciality facilities. This has been done in case of Mumbai to ease vaccination load on existing centres. In Nagpur there are some such hospitals viz. Kingsway Hospital. Amit Somani Business Unit Head & Managing Director Emerging Business SMS Group said that Kingsway Hospital was a COVID Vaccination Centre for healthcare workers and satisfied Central Government norms for vaccination of the elderly. “Hospitals satisfying the Central Government norms and having capacity of 200-plus beds should be authorised so that pace of vaccination increases” he said. On the lines of Mumbai private hospitals in Nagpur city also should be permitted for vaccination of citizens above 60 years of age and those above 45 years of age but having co-morbidities. “We are hopeful as the Government and NMC are actively working in right direction” he added. NMC Zone offices to have online registration Taking serious cognizance of overcrowding at the vaccination centres Mayor Dayashankar Tiwari has decided to make online registration available at the zone offices of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) from March 4. On Thursday the system of online registration will operate at the centres from 12 noon and from Friday onwards the online counter will remain open between 10.30 am and 12.30 noon. Tiwari directed the officials to plan the vaccination in a proper manner so that people should not face problems. The facility of offline registration too has been made available but Mayor directed officials that only 25 persons should be allowed for the same. Remaining persons should be given token for the next round. Mayor directed officials to create the facilities like drinking water toilet sitting arrangement etc. He said that in case of non-availability of toilets the mobile ones should be kept. The centres should remain clean. They should have registration centres waiting rooms vaccination unit. The centres should be sanitized everyday. 96-year-old Balkisan Purwar being administered Covaxin at GMCH Nagpur with his daughter noted gynaecologist Dr Manorama Purwar. Divisional Commissioner for 10000 vaccinations daily Principal Correspondent : Divisional Commissioner Dr Sanjeev Kumar has decided to prepare a plan under which 10000 people would be vaccinated daily. He told his officials that strict rules should be applied to curb the violation of social distancing norms as the COVID-19 cases are rising everyday. Dr Sanjeev Kumar was addressing the meeting attended by District Collector Ravindra Thakare Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishnan B District Superintendent of Police Rakesh Ola Director of Information and Publicity Hemraj Bagul Deputy Commissioner of Police Basavraj Teli Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital Dean Dr Ajay Keoliya Government Medical College and HOspital Superintendent Dr Avinash Gawande Dr Rakesh Shrivastava. Dr Sanjeev Kumar said “District should complete 6 lakh vaccination for which the centres are to be increased. If that is done then daily 10000 to 15000 people are to be vaccinated. Every centre must have information unit.”

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