Kolkata: No operational hiccup, target achieved on Day 1

KOLKATA: All the four private hospitals in Kolkata that took part in Covid vaccination on Saturday recorded a 100% attendance even as a couple exceeded the target. One had to nominate some new beneficiaries to step in for those who couldn’t turn up.
Each had lined up 100 recipients on the first day and none reported any operational hiccups. Despite some apprehension about the vaccine’s safety, none of the recipients had any initial adverse impact.
At AMRI Hospitals’ Dhakuria unit, the process rolled off the immediately after the vaccines arrived at 8.15am from the Borough VIII storage centre and they were soon unboxed and put into the storage facility till the actual inoculation started exactly at 10.45am.Critical care RMO Bipasha Seth was the first at the hospital to receive the shot. She was followed by 50 nurses, more than 25 residential medical officers (RMO) and 25 from other departments, including the front desk, administration and housekeeping. The final recipient count was 110. “We had invited more than a hundred to make sure we reach the number. Eventually, all had turned up,” said AMRI CEO Rupak Barua.
At Peerless Hospital, the inoculation got off to a slow start with the count touching 55 by 3pm. Subsequently, the hospital stepped up its effort and got those on the list to queue for the shot. The hospital ended with a count of 101. “We had had sent a list of 240 staffers — including doctors, nurses, paramedical and support staff — to the health department out of whom 100 got the vaccine today. On Monday, we will line up the next 100 from our approved list,” said Peerless Hospital CEO Sudipta Mitra. Peerless staffers who received the shot went back to work. “They were happy and relieved to get the vaccine and returned to work with a lot of enthusiasm,” said Mitra.
At RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences (RTIICS), 110 received the shot, including 30 doctors, 35 nurses, 13 paramedics, 12 administrative staffers and 10 housekeeping and security staffers. “None of our recipients reported any ill effects. They were observed for 45 minutes at the observation room,” said RTIICS zonal director R Venkatesh.
Apollo Gleneagles Hospital, too, had a full attendance with several senior medics, including Mahesh Goenka and Shyamasis Banerjee, receiving the shot. The hospital inoculated 108. “I resumed my indoor duty shortly after receiving the shot,” said Banerjee.