Mah:Hope in heart,prayer on lips,health workers get first jabs

Healthcare workers, doctorsand Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla were amongthe first recipients of the COVID-19 jab on the first day ofthe drive in Maharashtra, which was marked by enthusiasm andanxiety, with many viewing the vaccine as a kind of panaceathat will offer them immunity, and more importantly some hope.

As coronavirus vaccines reached Mumbai's CooperHospital in morning, dozens of health workers clapped andcheered the ''vaccine carrier'' staff.

With 'arti' thalis and sweets, the staff of thehospital waited outside the facility to welcome the firstbeneficiaries of the vaccination drive.

Former Maharashtra health minister Dr Deepak Sawant,Dr Ranjit Mankeshwar, Dean, JJ Hospital and Dr Padmaja Sarafreceived the vaccine shots among others.

While Sawant was administered the vaccine at CooperHospital, Dr Mankeshwar and Dr Saraf received the shots at JJHospital in Mumbai and at Jalna district hospital,respectively.

The inoculation drive is taking place at 285 centresin Maharashtra where 100 healthcare workers will beadministered the shots in a day, and cover 28,500 workers, anofficial said.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray launched theinoculation drive at a COVID care centre at Bandra KurlaComplex (BKC) in Mumbai.

''It is a revolutionary step we are taking today. Isalute to the Corona warriors who selflessly treated theCOVID-19 patients when there was no remedy available,'' he toldreporters.

In Pune, Dr Nitin Abhyankar (57) was among the firstbeneficiaries who received the vaccine.

''I feel extremely proud and happy that I could becomethe part of the inaugural inoculation drive that has startedin the country to fight COVID-19,'' said Dr Abhyankar, wholooked perfectly fine after receiving the jab.

In Pune district, more than 21 per centof theregistered healthcare personnel, including doctors and nurses,received the vaccine shots till 1 PM on Saturday.

A total of 3,100 beneficiaries are supposed to get thevaccine doses on the first day in Pune district.

''660 healthcare workers, including doctors and nurses,have been administered the vaccine till 1 PM,'' said DrSachinEdake, immunisation officer, Pune district.

A total of 409 beneficiaries have been vaccinated inrural areas.

32 beneficiaries were given the doses of Covaxin atthe Aundh district hospital.

In Pune municipal corporation, 159 health carepersonnel, mostly doctors, were given jabs on the first day.

In Pimpri Chinchwad, 92 beneficiaries wereadministered the vaccine till 1 pm.

Dr Murlidhar Tambe, Superintendent of Sassoon GeneralHospital, which is one of the 31 vaccine centres in Pune, wasamong the first beneficiaries who received the jab.

''Till 1 pm, atotal of 37 beneficiaries includingdoctors have been given the jabs of Covishield (at Sassoon).

As doctors, nurses are coming forward to take the vaccine, itwill send a positive message among other healthcare workersand frontline workers,'' he said.

Rajesh Karyakarte, head of Department of Microbiologyat B J Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital, who tooreceived the jab, said vaccination is the only solution todevelop a ''herd immunity''.

SII CEO Poonawalla shared a small video of himreceiving the jab on Twitter.

''I wish India & Sri @narendramodi ji great success inlaunching the world's largest COVID vaccination roll-out. Itbrings me great pride that #COVISHIELD is part of thishistoric effort & to endorse its safety & efficacy, I join ourhealth workers in taking the vaccine myself,'' he tweeted.

Covishield is developed by Oxford University andBritish-Swedish company AstraZeneca and manufactured by thePune-based SII.

State Health Minister Rajesh Tope said the state hasreceived 60 per cent of the COVID-19 vaccine stock or 10 lakhdoses so far and the remaining doses will be available in thenext 10 days.

Speaking to reporters after attending the vaccinationdrive in Jalna, Tope said at least 8 lakh health workers haveregistered for this programme, and for this, the state needs7.5 lakh additional doses of the vaccine.