NAGPUR: Covid-19 vaccination has dropped at Kingsway Hospital from daily average of 1,700 to 340 on Wednesday.
The hospital said the number of beneficiaries declined due to the latest announcement of free vaccination for all by the central government.
District-wise vaccination centres.The government had permitted vaccination of people in 18-44 years age group from May 1.
But the Centre had given responsibility of procurement of doses and inoculation to the states.
At the same time, the Centre had allowed private hospitals to purchase doses directly from manufacturers and inoculate citizens.
The state had started vaccination of this age group on May 1 and stopped on May 12, citing shortage of doses.
From Vidarbha, Kingsway Hospital and a hospital in Akola had procured doses of Covishield directly from manufacturer — Serum Institute of India (SII) — and started vaccinations from May 31.
Kingsway Hospital received huge response from people in 18-44 years age group, as they were not getting jabs at the centres run by Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and government hospitals.
Total 10,188 people (daily average of 1,698) booked slots and took the jab at Kingsway by paying Rs1,000 per dose (Rs100 more for registration of newcomers) in six days, between May 31 and June 5.
Highest vaccination was 3,675 on June 3, which was a record in entire vaccination programme.
The number of beneficiaries started to decline from June 7 with 976 taking the jab on June 7, followed by 970 on June 8.
The number of beneficiaries dropped further to 330 on June 9.
Director of the hospital Amit Somani told TOI, “The Centre announced procurement of doses and supply to government as well as private centres a couple of days ago.
Also, the government announced revision in charges.
This seems to have confused people.
Now, people have gone into wait and watch mode.
Therefore, number of beneficiaries has gone down at our centre.” Somani added, “Some 50% of people who took appointment online for vaccination did not turn up on June 7 and 8.
Now, we are left with 39 vials.
We have placed order for 60,000 more doses.
But there is no communication from SII.” In the government vaccination drive, 3,377 healthcare workers, frontline workers and 45-plus took first and second dose in the district on Wednesday.
Also, 920 people from 18-44 years age group took second dose.
Thus, total 4,297 people took the jab in the district on Wednesday at centres operated at NMC and government hospitals.
The number of beneficiaries has increased in these centres with beginning of second dose for people in 18-44 years age group.