Only 75 of the total 135 vaccination centres functioned on Wednesday: BMC
Scores of people were left disappointed, as several vaccination facilities in Mumbai, including those operated by the civic body, state government, and private entities, remained non-functional on Wednesday due to the unavailability of anti-COVID-19 vaccines.
As per a list tweeted by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), only 75 of the total 135 vaccination centres functioned on Wednesday.
The 75 centres which remained functional included 32 private centres, as many civic ones and 11 government-run centres.
Of the total 135 centres in Mumbai, 75 are run by private facilities, 42 by the civic body and 17 by the state government.
The BMC has also suspended the operations at the Bandra Kurla Complex-based jumbo centre, one of the prominent facilities from where it had kickstarted the immunisation drive on January 16.
After facing disappointment, veteran journalist Vidyadhar Date questioned the unavailability of vaccines at the BKC-based vaccination centre.
"No vaccine, after all that publicity of receiving enough stocks. So many helpless people travelled from faraway places," Mr Date said, adding that the authorities should have taken the help of media to alert citizens about the problems.
The BMC in its list has highlighted that 40 centres will administer vaccines to beneficiaries till the time stocks last.
However, several people complained that at some of the 75 centres, the vaccine stock got over within a couple of hours after the vaccination process began in the morning.
Some beneficiaries took to social media to share a similar experience at other vaccination centres.
"I just visited Seven Hills Hospital to get my booster dose of Covishield, but found that the security guard was turning people away, as there is no stock of vaccine here. How can that be possible before starting session (scheduled 9 am)? Hopeless management," tweeted Rakesh Kumar Gupta, tagging the civic body.
As per the list, only 20 of the 75 centres were administering both Covishield and Covaxin, while nearly 27 centres were giving only the second doses of Covaxin.
"My two appointments are cancelled for the vaccine of senior citizen's second dose in the last four days...they issue the appointment, but cancel the same at the last moment," tweeted one Lalit Doshi, tagging the BMC along with the Chief Minister's Office in the post. Several citizens also complained that they encountered long queues at vaccination centres.
"In Mittal (Hospital) there was a long queue since morning, went there at 6.30 am, at 8 am they told only second dose will be given that also only 50 doses are available. In Bhatia, cops were called, HN Reliance, no stock," tweeted south Mumbai resident Nandini Chakravarty.
Municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal had informed on Sunday that the BMC had received 1.5 lakh doses of Covishield and all vaccination centres in Mumbai will remain functional on Monday. Mr Chahal had said that Covaxin will be available only at select centres for second dose due to limited stock.