BENGALURU: With supply of vaccines from the state government to the Bengaluru Railway Division stopping, its vaccination programme for present and former employees and their families ground to a halt on Wednesday. The drive was being done at the Railway Hospital and its four small healthcare centres at Yesvantpur and Cantonment in Bengaluru as well as one each at Bangarpet and Hindupur.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, a highly placed source said that the BBMP used to supply anywhere between 10 and 15 vials (1 vial can carry 10 doses) daily for the Railway Hospital and 5 doses to the other two centres in Bengaluru. The centres in Bangarpet and Hindupur were given two or three doses daily.
“The quantity being supplied was gradually reduced over the last few days and we did not get any supply yesterday. Hence, we could not vaccinate anyone on Wednesday. Vaccination has been stopped at all these five locations in the Bengaluru Division. We do not have stock for Thursday also,” he said.
Railway employees, considered frontline workers, have received their first dose of the vaccine. “Family members above the age of 45 years too have been vaccinated in line with the government guidelines,” he said. Nearly 8,000 employees have received the first dose while around 2,000 have been administered the second dose so far.
“BBMP officials have attributed the non-supply to a shortage and from the indications given to us, it looks like we will be able to resume only by Monday (May 17),” he added.