By Day 3, around 34,800 take first shot in Gujarat

In the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) jurisdiction, 1,580 were vaccinated on Thursday. As per data provided by AMC, 3,638 have been inoculated in the city till Thursday.

In Ahmedabad city, Thursday also marked the first day of private medical practitioners being vaccinated. Dr Bharat Gadhvi of Ahmedabad Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (AHNA) said, “Today (January 21) was the first day of vaccination of private practitioners and vaccination was done at HCG Hospital on a trial basis, where around 150 (as per AMC data, 160) were given the shot. AHNA is working in collaboration with AMC (Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation) and we have proposed to have other hospitals, as vaccination sites, which we expect will happen by next week.”

On Thursday among the vaccine recipients at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, which has a vaccination site at the old trauma centre, were 78 doctors, 15 nursing staff and seven other staffers such as security personnel.

According to data provided by the AMC, 126 were vaccinated at the site on Thursday.

Speaking to this paper, Medical Superintendent at the hospital and Orthopedic department professor at BJ Medical College Dr JV Modi said, “I was at the vaccination site and I thought why not call staffers from my department. I went for a round with one of them and then convinced him to take the vaccine. Then we called the entire department….we are trying to similarly motivate other departments.”

Dr Shrey Desai (25), resident doctor at orthopaedic department of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital had tested positive three months ago but chose to take the vaccine. Dr Desai says, “We saw cases of a second bout of symptoms months after they had tested positive, among our colleagues. I thought it is only better that I take it.”

A senior doctor at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital said apprehension remained especially among the nursing staff and ward boys and servants. “The nursing superintendent himself has not taken it citing comorbid conditions…A common statement for not taking the vaccine that we see is, ‘we will take it once both doses are given to people’”, the doctor said.

In Ahmedabad rural, three vaccination sites included were at Sanand, Mandal and Dhandhuka. Sanand and Dhandhuka combined saw 164 vaccinated.

According to Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) officials, the area is “among the top in the state” when it comes to meeting its target of Covid19 vaccination. In three days of vaccination at SMC, a total of 3844 health workers have been vaccinated, out of the target of 4,200 across the 14 vaccination sites in the city.

Surat Deputy Health Commissioner Dr. Ashish Naik said, “We give doses three days in a week — Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. All 14 centres had planned to give 100 doses in each centre to the health care workers. On the first day, out of the target of 1,400, we have vaccinated 1,247 health workers. Similarly on 19th January, we have vaccinated 1,297 health workers and on Thursday, we have crossed 1,300-mark.”

Naik also added, “There are 500 vaccinators involved in this work and we have clearly guided all private and government hospitals to open vials only after 10 health workers come, to prevent from getting it wasted. As once the vial is open it should be used within 4 hours .”

Vadodara city reported a 102 per cent vaccination rate on Thursday with six private centres reporting a total of 611 recipients against the 600 registered beneficiaries. Among those who received the vaccination jab on Thursday were specialist doctors, nurses and staff members attached to the private hospitals.
Among the specialists who took the vaccine on Thursday was also 89-year-old gynaecologist Dr Rohit Bhatt, who is attached to the Bhailal Amin General Hospital in Gorwa.

Bhatt received the first shot at BAGH and said that he was “fit to take the second shot” after a period of 28 days.

In Rajkot city, 1,555 people were vaccinated by Thursday, Dr Lalit Vanja, Municipal Officer of Health of Rajkot Municipal Corporation said. On Thursday, 565 people took the first shot.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, while responding to a query from media persons in Rajkot , said that he is ready to take the vaccine in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement regarding chief ministers taking the vaccinate in the second phase.

“We were ready on the Day-One (of the start of the vaccination drive) but the Prime Minister told the conference of chief ministers that doctors and health workers who served people in time of Covid-19 and some of whom even lost their lives while doing so, have the first right on the vaccine, and I agree with it… No chief minister or minister was supposed to take the vaccine. But now that the PM has announced it, we all shall take vaccine whenever it is decided,” Rupani said.