Bhubaneswar: More than 400 people Saturday took their second dose of Covid vaccine at the drive-in vaccination facility launched by Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) at Esplanade Mall here.
Two vaccination points at the basement (parking area) of the mall served the citizens of 45-plus age group who came for their second dose. The drive-in centre was well-marked as the lanes were separated for registration, vaccination, waiting space and exit passage. The drive began at 8:45am Saturday and ended at 6pm with a break of two hours from 1pm to 3pm.
“I had to stand in a long queue when I took my first dose and was not very excited for my second dose. As I have arthritis, standing for a longer period aggravates pain. However, the new initiative of drive-in vaccination has helped me a lot. My son drove me to the centre for my final shot,” said 60-year old Subranshu Nayak.
It can be mentioned here that this is the first drive-in vaccination centre after the civic administration was inspired by Mumbai model of vaccination, aiming to improve the vaccination drive along with decongesting the hubs. While 400 slots have been made available for May 8, around 500 slots would be available from May 10 to 15 on a daily basis, sources said. Meanwhile, Subrat Kumar Panda, Covid observer for the city visited the centre and interacted with beneficiaries, the BMC team and authorities of Esplanade Mall.