With the Government also bringing those attaining 45 years of age and above within the ambit of those allowed for COVID vaccination from April 1 onwards, the eligible citizens thronged the centres on Thursday. The civic body has made necessary arrangements at 86 centres, including private and government hospitals. After initial glitches, staff at the vaccination centres managed to attend to the increased rush, including senior citizens. Mayor Dayashankar Tiwari and Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishnan B visited some of the centres and took stock of the facilities. Initially, addition of more people in the approved category for the vaccination, made the job of staff at hospitals and centres tougher. Some hospitals are facing difficulties.

 

 

 

With psychological impression that vaccination will give solace from rising scare of coronavirus, more and more eligible citizens approached the vaccination centres on Thursday. Many citizens above the age of 45 years had registered themselves on-line while some reached the centre for spot registration. According to a senior officer of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), the civic body has aims to vaccinate about 6.50 lakh citizens in the new drive within a short span. Though persons with 45 years of age were allowed to take vaccine, the officials gave clear priority to healthworkers, frontline healthworkers, people suffering from various ailments.

 

 

 

The authority has started administrating second dose to persons above 60 years of age, so they too were given the preference.” Some citizens were confused about the charges of vaccine as they sought it for free at private hospital also. Actually the Government had made it clear that vaccine will be free at government hospitals only while it will cost Rs 250 per dose at private hospitals. All the 46 private and 40 government hospitals where the vaccination drive was allowed were prepared well in advance. Manewada Primary Urban Health Centre near Shahu Garden; Dipti Signal Primary Urban Health Centre, near Sanjay Nagar Hindi Corporation Schools are the new additions to the already listed vaccination centres in the city. At some hospitals vaccination was held in two shifts. Such hospitals included Babulban Primary Urban Health Centre, K T Nagar Primary Urban Health Centre, Indira Gandhi Rugnalaya, Gandhi Nagar; Isolation Hospital, Pachpaoli centre, Government Medical College and Hospital, Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital and late Prabhakarrao Datke Mahal Diagnostic Centre. Realising help needed by citizens, especially senior citizens, some Non Government Organisations have came forward to provide assistance to those visiting the vaccination centre.

 

Govt slashes RTPCR test charges State Government has cut the charges for Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RTPCR) tests. Now, a person can get his/her sample tested for COVID-19 infection for Rs 500. The new rates are likely to trouble the pathologists as the government has not taken them into confidence, and nobody thought from the perspective of laboratories. For example, the government has lowered the price of rapid antigen test to Rs 300. According to pathologists the rate is not affordable to them as the cost of a kit required to conduct the test is Rs 418. If a pathologist abide by the order and don’t charge more than Rs 300 for the antigen test then he would be at loss.