KOLKATA: All Covid vaccination centres attached with state government-run hospitals will continue with the inoculation drive during Dura Puja, barring Ashtami. All hospitals have been asked to make roster for their own vaccination team so that whoever turns up at the centres get the jab. On Ashtami, OPD services will also be shut for a day.
Health officials said that the footfall at the centres is likely to fall sharply during the five-day festivity as recipient themselves might not want to take the jab during this period. But they will keep the services open for whoever comes to take the shot.
“Since the footfall is likely to drop sharply during the festival, hospitals can reduce the number of sites depending on the response. But they will have to keep the inoculation drive on expect on Ashtami,” said a senior health official.
“It is likely that we might get less first-dose recipients. But people whose second dose is due are likely to turn up. We will be offering the jab to either category of recipients,” said community medicine specialist Sanjib Bandyopadhyay, vaccination coordinator at Beliaghata ID hospital.
On Tuesday, Bengal crossed the 6-crore jab mark when around 10 lakh doses were administered. Despite Wednesday being a holiday on account of Mahalaya, the state health department vaccinated 3 lakh peple from 1,460 government sites.
