Time for a tweak? Small vaccination centres, private hospitals in Mumbai become hotspots of chaos

A queue for vaccination outside Nanavati Hospital earlier during the drive. File pic

With the civic body allowing walk-in vaccinations at its centres on certain days, corporators are having a field day at smaller centres by helping their friends and contacts get the vaccines on priority by jumping the queue. They are claiming how they have been instrumental in getting the centres opened. This has naturally not gone down well with locals, whose wrath the helpless civic staffers are having to bear. With the BMC having established vaccination centres in almost each of the 227 corporator wards in the city, the elected representatives have been calling their friends and getting them vaccines without waiting in the queue.

Beneficiaries in a queue at a chaotic Lifeline Hospital in Malad on Tuesday

Civic sources said that they are the ones being yelled upon on walk-in days because of this.

The BMC has decided to allow walk-in vaccinations from Monday to Wednesday for a few weeks where senior citizens can walk in for the first dose and those aged 45 and above can walk in for the second dose. It is not clear if civic elections will be held next year but politicians seem to be milking the opportunity anyway.

While the drive seems to be smooth at major centres, it is the smaller centres that are suffering. A health official at an Andheri centre said, "This is also happening on the days of appointments where citizens who don't have appointments are coming through their references and if we don't allow them the corporators start calling us up and questioning us. On walk-in days, they are themselves present at the centre, giving direct entries to their friends."

Also Read: Mumbai: Lactating mothers can walk in today for Covid-19 vaccination

It was Shiv Sena minister Aaditya Thackeray who'd suggested that each of the 227 wards get a vaccination centre. A BMC corporator said, "We have been working since Day One of the pandemic and we are continuing this by helping those who come to us asking for help." An Andheri resident said, "I have been going to a primary health centre at Four Bungalows. The vaccination centre started around four weeks ago and my second Covishield dose was due. For two days I was sent back but I saw my neighbour getting the shot as he was escorted by the corporator's associates. The local leaders told me to come on Wednesday and that they will help me get the shot."

Chaos at private centre

On a particularly chaotic Tuesday, a vaccine beneficiary who had reserved a slot at Lifeline Hospital, Malad, came out of the centre completely exhausted - not because of the vaccine but because of the long wait to get the shot. While people had to wait in the queue for almost six hours, they were not even given vaccine certificates despite having taken an appointment through CoWIN.

Beneficiaries were crammed in a small space at Lifeline Hospital in Malad. Many tweeted about the mismanagement and tagged the BMC

In addition, the hospital did not even have a proper waiting area for the post-jab observation period.

A beneficiary, Aditya Anand, who had booked a slot at Lifeline Hospital, said, "After trying for four days, I managed to get a slot but only to be disappointed and worried as we were crammed in a small place where social distancing went for a toss. I had visited the hospital which was mentioned on the CoWIN receipt but I was told that the vaccination is being given at a different place about five minutes away.

After going there at 11 am, I saw chaos unfold, it was a nightmare. I was not given a certificate, there was no waiting area, a Covid-19 patient was taken upstairs from where we were waiting. We had to move to make way. They are blatantly allowing walk-ins through references and we were just asked to wait as their server was down. I finally got my jab at 4.50 pm."

Megha Ghose who had visited the hospital tweeted, "@mybmc it was a frustrating and a difficult task to get a slot through cowin now that you get the vaccination centre life line Malad they are prioritising walkins over your immense hard work of acquiring a spot extremely disappointing (sic)."

Sahil Shah's tweet read, "My parents had taken 1st dose of Covishield on 1st April 2021 at Lifeline Hospital Malad but the Certificate is not issued yet. I have visited Hospital twice but not getting proper response."

Dr Vaishal Shah of Lifeline Hospital did not respond to mid-day's calls and messages.

A queue at Nanavati Hospital. Citizens said that crowds have been increasing at the hospital, too. File pic

Another citizen who received their first dose at Nanavati Hospital on Monday had a similar experience. The hospital had reached 900 registrations by early this week. "While the long queue was orderly, it got worse once people were sent in batches for registration and payments, which happened in a cramped room in the basement two levels down," said the beneficiary. "After that, we were made to wait for another 30 minutes in the basement auditorium, which seemed pretty high-risk. As the number of slots increases and walk-ins begin, the situation is bound to become more chaotic in private hospitals."

227
No. of corporator wards in city, nearly all have a vaccination centre now