BMC's vaccination drive: On Day 1, seniors send social distancing for a toss

Senior citizens and frontline workers crowd the vaccination registration desk while the server remains down at BMC’s NESCO Jumbo COVID Centre in Goregaon on Monday. Pic/Satej Shinde

Chaotic scenes stood out on the first day of the BMC's vaccination drive for senior citizens and those above 45 years with comorbidities, contrasting the civic body's efforts elsewhere in the city to control crowding through stiff measures.

The Goregaon jumbo centre became a potential spreader site on Monday. Pic/Satej Shinde

‘Keep safe distance' was tossed out of the window as too many elderly citizens, who are more susceptible to coronavirus infection, waited at registration counters of vaccination centres across Mumbai. But the computer system remained non-operational till noon.

While many decided to stay put, potentially risking themselves, others returned without a jab. As too many vaccine seekers remained confined to limited spaces, civic officials seemed to throw up their hands. The only saving grace, however, was a mask on everyone's face. mid-day heard a few concerned senior citizens telling each other that the pandemic was not over yet and such crowds should not have been allowed in the first place.

Officials said they were helpless in the absence of a working system. Sanjay Gangan, 66, who visited the NESCO Jumbo Center for vaccination at Goregaon, said he was worried.

"The danger of Covid has not yet disappeared from our lives and all we want to know is whether the unregistered people should wait or leave. Seeing the crowd here and the mismanagement," he said.

A senior citizen at Seven Hills Hospital said he had urged the officials and security staff to leave an empty chair between two people. "Still, people are crowding next to each other and this has left us worried. The BMC says social distancing should be followed but here there is no distance," said the elderly person who did not wish to be identified.

While citizens blamed the BMC for what they called an "avoidable" mess, civic officials said their appeals for social distancing fell on deaf ears and that they could not be stern with the aged visitors.
Authorities also said that they had to compromise with the seating arrangement as it was difficult for many senior citizens to stand for long.

Doctors at the vaccination centres, however, said COVID-appropriate behaviour was followed.

A senior BMC official sought to play down the chaotic scenes on Monday. "It is just the first day and we cannot take action against senior citizens. We are asking them politely and as many have been waiting for hours owing to CoWIN being non operational, this problem had occurred. Otherwise, there are no issues on a regular basis," said the official.

To curb the spread of the disease, the BMC has been slapping cases against people for roaming without masks and raiding various event halls. But the vaccination centres on Monday were a clear aberration.

12 pm
Time till when the system was stuck on Monday