BENGALURU: Only 54 lakh out of 2.22 crore people in Karnataka have got their second dose of Covid vaccine, because of insufficient supply, long gap between two doses of Covishield and technical issues with the Covid portal, CoWIN. Only 24.50 per cent of those who received the first dose, that is 54,52,069 out of 2,22,51,400 (2.22 crore) have got the second dose. Hospitals said that people are turning up in large numbers for their second dose, but issues surrounding the drive are affecting the national initiative.
“The gap between two doses of Covishield increased from six-eight weeks to 12-16 weeks, which is why many beneficiaries are not yet due for the second dose. The vaccine supply is also erratic and insufficient, but it is better now than before. We used to get 50 vials per week earlier which has been increased to 50 vials once every three days. Every day, 600-700 people come to our hospital, of them 400-500 get the vaccine,” said a doctor from Victoria Hospital, adding that the remaining 200-odd have to return.At KC General Hospital, a board is put up whenever they run out of vaccine stocks. Doctors here claimed that when they raise an indent, the supplies come from Dasappa Hospital.
“On weekdays, we vaccinate around 700 people per day and on weekends it varies between 1,000 and 1,2000 for both Covishield and Covaxin, including those getting their first and second doses. There is no shortage,” claimed Dr B R Venkateshaiah, Medical Superintendent, KC General Hospital in Bengaluru.
Pvt hospitals struggle to get vaccine supplies
Private hospitals too are struggling to get the supplies despite raising indents on the Karnataka Private Medical establishment and Co-WIN portals. At Suguna Hospital, they have been able to get Covaxin directly from the manufacturer, Bharat Biotech, but have not been able to get Covishield from the government.
“We were told that July 15 was the last day to raise an indent and we did that for Covishield through CoWIN. Forget receiving the supplies, even the payment we made was not acknowledged. We tell those who are due for their second dose of Covishield to go to other centres,” said Dr Ravindra R, former president of the Private Hospital and Nursing Homes Association and MD of Suguna Hospital.
There are also other reasons for fewer people getting both doses. One is that they could have turned Covid-positive after their first dose and the other is a technical issue on CoWIN, said Dr Arundhathi Chandrashekar, Mission Director, National Health Mission.
“Sometimes, beneficiaries would have changed their phone numbers after the first dose or there would have been a spelling mistake in their name while registering for the first dose. In both cases, when they take their second dose, it gets recorded as the first on CoWIN. Nearly 25-30 per cent of people who are due for their second dose as per the portal have actually already taken it,” she said.