On the lines of Mumbai, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has given its nod to setting up drive-in COVID-19 vaccination centres in Nagpur, only for citizens above 60 years of age. Radhakrishnan B, Municipal Commissioner, issued the order on Saturday, and asked the Zonal Assistant Commissioners concerned within two days. The drive-in vaccination centres shall be set up in big buildings and malls having adequate arrangements. The Municipal Commissioner has cited some examples of such places viz. Kavivarya Suresh Bhat Sabhagruha, Central Mall, VR Nagpur (Trillium Mall), Empress Mall, etc.

 

Proper single-lane barricades for maneuvering of vehicles, inlet/outlet control etc shall be done inside the parking place/ground/stadium so that there is no traffic jam on the adjoining roads, he added in the order. Adequate and proper temporary shelter shall be provided for vaccination area to accommodate vaccination staff, arrangement for patients of Adverse Event Following Immunisation (AEFI), ambulance etc. Further, adequate number of mobile toilets and drinking water facilities should be provided at these drive-in centres. However, the drive-in vaccination centres can be used by only the citizens above 60 years of age, coming for both shots of Covishield, that too, ‘strictly by appointment only’. The beneficiary-citizen to be vaccinated shall not self drive and shall be accompanied by an attendant or drive in each vehicle to deal with AEFI, if any, stated the Municipal Commissioner’s order.

 

Radhakrishnan B directed the Zonal Assistant Commissioners, Zonal Medical Officers, and Zonal Executive Engineers to make necessary arrangements at such drive-in vaccination centres. He asked the Zonal Assistant Commissioners to submit compliance of the directions within two days. Meanwhile, in another communique Ram Joshi, Additional Municipal Commissioner, stated that vaccination of citizens above 45 years of age would continue on Sunday at 96 centres of Government and NMC in city. Among these centres, Covishield doses will be administered at Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital, and All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

 

The citizens in 45-years-plus category who are yet to get second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, will be given priority. Further, nine centres are being run for the citizens in the age-group of 18-44 years. For them, online registration is mandatory. Of these centres, Covaxin doses will be given at Late Prabhakarrao Datke Diagnostic Centre, Mahal; Chhapru Sarvoday Mandal Hall in Chhapru Nagar; Rajkumar Gupta Samaj Bhavan, Bajeriya; Virangula Kendra, Jai Hind Society, Manish Nagar; Dr Ambedkar Hospital, and Urban Primary Healthcare Centre, Manewada. Covishield doses will be given at Pachpaoli Nursing Home, Indira Gandhi Rugnalaya of NMC in Gandhi Nagar, and Isolation Hospital in Imamwada. Joshi appealed to the people to remain present at the given centre on the given date and time-slot to avoid crowding at the centres.