Mumbai: 64-year-old man standing in COVID vaccine queue collapses, dies

A 64yearold man who had been waiting outside a COVID vaccination centre in the scorching heat in Nalasopara collapsed and died on Friday Sources said the man later identified as Harish Panchal had walked up to the Primary Health Centre PHC near Patankar Park for a shot but there was no proper arrangement for visitors to weather the rising temperaturesThe primary health centre where Panchal was waiting for his vaccine turnA source said ldquoThose who get vaccinated develop mild fever and Panchal did not want himself and his wife to get vaccinated on the same day else there would be no one to take care of them if they fell sick simultaneouslyrdquoPanchal told his wife that he would get vaccinated first and if it goes well he would take her to the vaccination centre the next day said the sourceThe senior citizen reached the PHC before noon and stood outside in the queue under the blazing sun ldquoHe collapsed and got his head injured We took him inside and dressing was administered on his head as there was a minor wound which was bleedingrdquo said a staffer from the PHCldquoWhen the doctors checked his blood pressure the reading was nil Panchal was rushed to Tulinj hospital where was declared dead before admissionrdquo said the sourceBabusingh Rajpurohit a member of the transport committee in Nalasopara said the PHC is congested ldquoThese days people are visiting in large numbers for vaccination but there is no arrangement They have no other option but to stand in a long queue in the heatrdquo he saidThe PHC has little space to accommodate all those who are coming for vaccinationRajpurohit said he had written to the civic chief to provide a 50ftx50ft tent chairs fans and drinking water to vaccineseekers ldquoNo social distancing is being followed at the PHC The civic body overlooked my request and forced people including senior citizens to bake in the sunrdquo Rajpurohit addedSources at the PHC told midday health workers too had requested the civic body to make proper arrangements for the visitors ldquoThe vaccination for people above 45 years started on March 5 and senior citizens have been asked to get vaccinated on Monday Wednesday and Friday Panchal had come with his friendrdquo the source addedSenior inspector of Nalasopara police station Vasant Labde said ldquoThe elderly man was standing in a queue to get vaccinated and collapsed He died on the spot before receiving the vaccine An Accidental Death Report will be registeredrdquo Panchalrsquos wife and relatives were too shocked to talk to the medialdquoHe was a known case of hypertension and obese too He died of cardiac arrest while waiting outside the vaccination centre in Nalasoparardquo said Dr Surekha Walke medical officer at VasaiVirar Municipal Corporation The health official said the vaccination drive was recently started at the PHC and arrangements like shade and chairs are being made ldquoAt present 100 people are being vaccinated each day at the PHC but soon we are going to increase the numberrdquo she added