Mumbai: With few doses left, BMC may suspend vaccination drive at some centres

A policewoman gets vaccinated at the vaccination centre at Nair hospital. Pic/Ashish Raje

Even as it inaugurated its Central Storage Facility of Vaccines for COVID-19, with a capacity to store 1.2 crore doses, in Kanjurmarg on Wednesday, the vaccine stock with BMC is so low that unless new stock arrives on Thursday morning, vaccination centres that are recording a higher than expected turnout may be asked to suspend operations.

The Kanjurmarg facility will see the entire vaccination drive and it's governing officials operating from the space. The BMC said that it would ensure that the facility is activated only when stock becomes available.

Mayor Kishori Pednekar inaugurated the vaccine storage facility on Wednesday

Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani said, "Yes it is true that there is a shortage of vaccines and the stock currently available with us is negligible, it numbers hardly in a few thousand. We are expecting a consignment on Thursday morning. Henceforth, all stock will be sorted at and transported from the Kanjurmarg facility. A few doses will be kept at the Parel facility to provide easy access to the city areas."

About the new facility

The facility had been lying unused for months and amid low stock as compared to the facility's space. The BMC had then said that they did not want the burden of maintaining a facility that is not in use. However, with the state government appealing for more doses, the civic body is hopeful of getting a larger consignment.

The facility has two 40 cubic metre walk-in coolers maintaining a temperature of 2°C to 8°C. Along with this, there are 20 cubic metre walk-in freezers maintaining a temperature of -15°C to -25°C. Three storeys of the five-storey structure will be put to use.
Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar said that the facility can store vaccines to last all of Mumbai for 50 years. "There will be no maintenance issues as the facility will run on solar energy in the morning and direct power supply at night."

On Wednesday, the turnout of senior citizens, those aged 45 and above and health and frontline workers was 61,896. Meanwhile. a total of 15,23,818 beneficiaries have been inoculated, of which 1,72,468 have been fully vaccinated. The turnout of senior citizens was 13,700, whereas people aged 45 and above were 44,736, the number of healthcare workers vaccinated was 906 and the number of frontline workers vaccinated was 2,554.

Recipients wait at Nair hospital's vaccination centre on Wednesday. Pic/Ashish Raje

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Area of one walk-in freezer (in cubic metres) at the facility