In a proactive measure to increase the pace of the vaccination amid the second wave of COVID-19, the BMC asked the Centre for permission to take vaccination drive door-to-door across Mumbai. However, the Centre denied receiving any such requests.
According to a report from Mumbai Mirror, Mumbai’s Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Chahal said that the BMC currently vaccinates around 40-45 thousand individuals per day. The BMC has set the target of vaccinating at least 1,00,000 beneficiaries in a day. “We have asked the state government for permission to go door-to-door.” The Commissioner also gave references to the states of Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan where the state government initiated a door-to-door vaccination.
Additionally, Suresh Kakani, Municipal Commissioner said that the Centre rejected the BCM’s request claiming that there are no policies in place for door-to-door inoculation. “There are nearly 1.5 lakh people in Mumbai who are old and bedridden or handicapped and can’t move out of their house for vaccination. We had written to the Centre to allow us permission to visit them to vaccinate them, but the central officials told us that there is no such policy. It would have really helped those who are confined to their homes,” Mr. Kakani said.
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Meanwhile Rajesh Bhushan, who represents Centre as a Union Health Secretary claimed that the Centre has not in-fact received any such request. “Till date, we haven’t received any specific request from Maharashtra government [to conduct door-to-door vaccination]. In India, we do universal immunisation but even there we have not done door-to-door vaccination,” said Mr. Bhushan.
Although, the decision to increase the pace of inoculation does make sense given the rising number of cases, one should know that a door-to-door drive may not be as helpful, given the nature of the virus. So far, the only door-to-door vaccination campaign has been for polio. The government under its UIP (Universal Immunisation Program) administers the polio drops, but in this door-to-door inoculation only oral vaccine has been administered and no injectable vaccine has ever been used.
If the state does approve BMC’s appeal for door-to-door COVID-19 vaccination, they may face the following issues:
- If a patient suffers from any AEFI incident, the patient in question may take time in reaching a health facility to be treated which may result in loss of lives.
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- Currently beneficiaries have to follow the protocol of being under observation for 30 minutes post-vaccination. This may not be possible under the door-to-door vaccination drive.
- During the door-to-door COVID-19 vaccination drive, the vaccines will be taken in and out of the carrier which may increase contamination chances. Vaccines may also face exposure beyond the recommended temperature in the hot and humid Mumbai climate which may result in changes in vaccine efficacy.
- Social distancing may not be possible in the door-to-door COVID-19 vaccination drive in Mumbai as the city is densely populated.
Meanwhile, the BMC on Monday this week announced that it has directed the hospitals in Mumbai to not allot beds to asymptomatic patients and only keeps bed ready for the “needy”. In a bid to have more beds for the people who need them, the BMC asked medical facilities like hospitals and nursing homes to discharge all asymptomatic patients which will lead to free beds for people with serious symptoms.
According to NDTV, the BMC in a release said that 80% of the total COVID-19 beds and a 100% of all the ICU beds at private hospitals are asked to be reserved for COVID-19 patients with serious symptoms.
