Day 4: Hospitals in Ludhiana await Covishield supply

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, April 20

Four day gone and Covishield vaccine stock has still not reached private hospitals in the city. Things are further going to become difficult because the district has yet not received any intimation from the state govt regarding vaccine supply and if sources are to be believed it will take a few more days for the supply to be restored in the district.

Beneficiaries who had their first dose from private hospitals have been left in lurch as they are making rounds of the hospitals but unable to get the second jab. Today also Covishield was administered at only four government centres in urban areas.

Karanjit Singh, who got his father vaccinated from a nearby private hospital, is reluctant to take his aged father to government hospital. “I am waiting for the private hospital to get the stock,” he said.

Another beneficiary said she was not ready to go to the government hospital. “I will get my second dose from the same hospital from where I got the first. I don’t feel comfortable going to a government hospital,” she said.

Dr GS Grewal, former president of the Punjab Medical Council, said the private hospitals were made Covid centres but when it came to vaccination they were not provided the stock.

“We are ready to run the vaccination free of cost because we do not want the people to suffer. The department should provide us the required stock as people are making rounds of the hospitals,” said Dr Grewal.

District Immunisation Officer Dr Puneet Juneja said they had yet not received any intimation from the state about vaccine stock. “The moment we are informed we will go and get the supply of Covishield. Covishield is being administered at only four government vaccination centres in urban areas,” he said.

Dr Rajesh Bhaskar, Covid nodal officer of Punjab, said there was no shortage of Covishield. When questioned why private hospitals were not given the supply, the nodal officer said they were making the supply in a phased manner. “We are hopeful that more stock will be given to the district in a day,” he said.