KOLKATA: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is finally set to roll out its Duare Vaccination (vaccination at doorsteps) facility from next week.
In an effort to reach out to the elderly, infirm and terminally ill people who can’t move out of their homes and get the jab at city’s vaccination clinics, the civic body had announced the scheme a fortnight ago. However, the KMC health department took its time before formally launching the scheme as the health officials were working on the modalities. Singing legend Sandhya Mukhopadhyay will be one of the recipients of the scheme to begin with. A descendant of Asutosh Mukhopadhyay and a resident of Bhowanipore will also receive the jab at home, KMC board of administrators chairman Firhad Hakim said on Saturday.
The civic brass has made a minor change in the rule, making it mandatory for the family of a recipient to ensure that a doctor is present when a civic vaccinator administers the dose. “The shot must be administered in presence of a registered medical practitioner to look after the discomfort factors of an ailing or aged recipient,” said a KMC health department official.
However, a section of KMC health department officials conceded that it would be a tough job for the family of a recipient to get hold of a physician who will be present at home to observe the effects of vaccines. “While we acknowledge that getting a doctor at home amid a pandemic is tough, we can’t take chances as an ailing person may develop complexities after the shot is administered. We don’t have enough medical officers who can visit households after discharging duties at vaccination clinics,” said a KMC health department official.
According to rules devised by the KMC health department, the family of a bed-ridden citizen needs to approach the nearest KMC vaccination centre and book a ‘vaccination slot at home’ after showing a medical certificate to the medical officer of the clinic. After examining the certificate, the medical officer will book a slot and fix a date for the recipient depending on the availability of vaccines. For octogenarian citizens, a slot can be booked by submitting a photocopy of the Aadhaar card. KMC vaccinators will visit the households between 5pm and 6pm. Under no circumstances, the KMC will take the initiative to administer the shots at home to the able-bodied people and citizens below 80 years, said a KMC health depart-ment official.
