Centre for near-to-home jabs; in Pune BJP starts limited door-to-door drive

PUNE: The BJP on Thursday launched a limited door-to-door vaccination programme for those with disabilities in the city despite the party-led central government arguing in courts that such drives were not feasible.
The Centre, citing safety concerns, had said that instead of home vaccinations, near-to-home drives were more preferable. But on Thursday, the city BJP — currently holding majority in the PMC — launched “Ghari Yeu Aani Las Deu” from the Kasba Peth constituency, a party stronghold.The programme, BJP leadership said, aims to cover bedridden citizens and those with mobility issues.
“It is not door-to-door vaccination for all,” said Hemant Rasane, BJP corporator and chairman of the standing committee. “The initiative has been taken to vaccinate citizens who cannot move out of their homes because of physical ailments. This is a personal initiative. It is being supported by me and well-wishers. It’s not against any government policy and has been carried out with all required permissions,” he said. Organisers of the drive — also launched to celebrate BJP state unit chief Chandrakant Patil’s birthday — said it would go on till June 20. It’s free of cost for beneficiaries.
Rasane said they would ensure “not a single dose is wasted”. In arguments against door-to-door jabs, the Centre had said vaccine wastage was a key concern, stating that vials, once opened, could be wasted while traveling to each beneficiary’s doorstep.
Rasane said the PMC drive would ensure that all doses were administered within a couple of hours of opening a vial (according to policy, a vial once opened should be used up within four hours). Names of beneficiaries are being collected with help from local party workers and organisers said a location must have at least 10 eligible citizens — all in immediate vicinity of each other — before it can be selected for the door-to-door programme.
Rasane said the civic body had tied up with a private hospital which will provide manpower and infrastructure. The initiative was not exerting any pressure on civic administration or infrastructure, organisers insisted.