Private Mumbai hospitals offering jabs to swell to 20 – Times of India

MUMBAI: The count of private hospitals administering Covid-19 vaccines in the city will rise to 20 by the end of this week. This, though, may not immediately boost CoWin slots as most will dole out the shots at housing societies and for corporate firms through tie-ups.
Over the past week, several hospitals have adopted a hybrid strategy where they are vaccinating through tie-ups with private firms and residential complexes, besides carrying out drives in the hospitals through CoWin appointments. Following the initial crisis after the Centre stopped allocating doses from May 1, many hospitals have started receiving supplies of Covishield from SII.
Pvt hosps give jabs mainly via tie-ups with firms & hsg socs
City private hospitals are getting Covishield ranging from a few thousand to up to a lakh doses from SII. Civic data shows that private hospitals are administering 10,000 to 12,000 doses in the city every day now while public vaccination centres are giving around 15,000 to 22,000 doses.
Hospitals such as Hinduja, Jaslok, Nanavati, Lilavati, Kokilaben, H N Reliance, Charni Road’s Mittal, Saifee and Masina, among others, are vaccinating both through CoWin and tieups. While Breach Candy, Criticare, Fortis and Wockhardt are mainly vaccinating through tieups at present, they also plan to open vaccination to all. Some public centres such as Seven-Hills have tied up with embassies. Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) has partnered with Lilavati and Dr Meena’s Multispeciality Hospital for vaccinating its employees.
Joy Chakraborty, COO of PD Hinduja Hospital, said at least 11 of the city’s major private hospitals have received vaccines from Serum Institute of India recently and more are in the pipeline. “Vaccination will gain momentum soon as more hospitals receive doses gradually, but we will keep the CoWin option open in Hinduja,” he said, adding the hospital has received nearly one lakh doses. Almost all hospitals have been approached by a dozen to almost 80-100 companies for vaccination. Some corporations are themselves procuring the vaccines and collaborating with hospitals only to administer the doses.
Dr Prince Surana, CEO of Surana Group of Hospitals, said they will start vaccinating employees of Kotak, Yes Bank, IDBI and Motilal Oswal, among others, with Covishield doses that it expects to receive in batches of 10,000 to15,000 by the end of the week. He says the group plans to keep at least 1,000 Co-Win slots daily.
Dr S Narayani, zonal director of Fortis Hospital, said they have been vaccinating societies from the neighbourhood and corporates but intend to open vaccination in the hospital this week. The group has directly sourced doses from Serum Institute. A Breach Candy hospital official said they, too, have got doses from Serum, which they are currently utilising for staff. It hasn’t opened slots on CoWin.
Officials from Saifee Hospital said they had received a few thousand doses of Covaxin from Bharat Biotech and expect stocks from Serum this week. It is vaccinating around 200 through CoWin appointments and 500-600 through tie-ups daily.
Additional municipal commissioner Suresh Kakani said since private hospitals are procuring their own doses, they are free to administer in any manner. “They can choose how many slots they want to open on Co-Win. The only requirement is vaccination through CoWin should be 100% through online registration,” he said. Hospitals have to submit an application to the local ward office which gives permission for the drive.