94% drop in Gondia vaccination as shortage bites

NAGPUR: A day after Union health minister Harsh Vardhan claimed there was no shortage of Covid-19 vaccine in the country, vaccination was reduced by 94% in Gondia district as vials got exhausted. Reportedly, there will be no inoculation in Gondia on Thursday. People visiting 96 vaccination centres had to return without getting the jab.
TOI had on Wednesday reported on the likelihood of the vaccination taking a hit in Gondia district.The district has been vaccinating around 5,000 people every day. Officials in Gondia told TOI only 303 doses were left at eight centres on Tuesday night. “Those were used up on Wednesday.

The other 96 centres could not start vaccination as they had no doses. As we are not likely to get any stock from the government, no vaccination can be done on Thursday,” they said.
Gondia vaccinated 5,651 on April 4. The functioning centres were reduced to 80 from 104 due to shortage the next day and only 4,751 could be jabbed. On Tuesday, only 10 centres operated and 1,318 got vaccinated. Gondia has been administering only Covishield.
On Tuesday, Harsh Vardhan told state health ministers that the Centre will continuously replenish the vaccine stock. “States should vaccinate the prioritized groups in a mission mode. The Centre is providing the required quantities to all states and UTs,” he added.
Even the ministry of health and family welfare (MoHFW) on Wednesday tweeted there is no shortage of doses. According to officials of Amravati division, Yavatmal, Akola, Buldhana and Washim districts had to reduce vaccination centres from 545 to 375 on Wednesday due to shortage of doses.
“Vaccination is going on at centres where doses are available. There is no stock available in the storerooms of these four districts from April 5 onwards,” they said. The officials added doses available on Wednesday night will likely be used in these four districts on Thursday. Only Amravati district was having stock sufficient for two days.
In city, Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) was reportedly left with around 80 doses of Covaxin after inoculation on Wednesday. “These will be kept for second dose and Covishield will be started for first dose on Thursday,” an official from the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) told TOI. GMCH is vaccinating over 400 people per day.
There were six centres in the city for Covaxin. NMC converted four of them into Covishield four days ago due to shortage of Covaxin doses. This forced a few healthcare workers (HCW), frontline workers (FLW), 60-plus and 45-plus with specified comorbidities to travel to GMCH for second dose of Covaxin. Many reportedly delayed the second dose.
Also, many people above 45-plus who wished to take Covaxin have delayed vaccination. “I booked vaccination for my wife and mother at Viveka Hospital on April 5. I postponed vaccination to April 7 as I came to know that the centre was converted into Covishield. I again postponed the vaccination as I do not want to take them to GMCH,” a resident of Hindustan Colony said.
Nagpur Rural is also reportedly left with doses only for Thursday. Zilla Parishad (ZP) vaccinated 20,769 on Wednesday. ZP official said, “NMC provided us 20,000 doses on Tuesday as stock was exhausted on Monday. 2,500 are left in store room and around 25,000 at centres on Wednesday,” he said.
NMC officials said around 50,000 doses of Covishield were available with centres on Wednesday, enough for four days. The civic body administered vaccine to 12,062 on Wednesday.
As per officials of deputy director of health services (DDHS) office, remaining four districts of Nagpur division- Wardha, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli and Bhandara were having sufficient doses. “Vehicle has been sent to Pune. Nagpur division is likely to get 55,000 doses of Covaxin on Friday morning. No intimation has been received from the government for Covishield doses,” they said.