Day 1: Few turn up for paid booster shot in Chandigarh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 10

Administering of the paid Covid vaccine booster shot at private hospitals in the city started on a sluggish note today.

Two test positive in Chandigarh

Chandigarh: The city saw two fresh cases of Covid on Sunday. There was no fresh fatality while two patients got the better of the disease. TNS

Dr Neeraj from Chaitanya Hospital said, “Just 50 people came to get the booster shot at our hospital. The manufacturing company is going to give more doses in lieu of the losses incurred by private hospitals for administering the vaccine on a lower rate. The concern is that though we will have more doses, the vaccines will lie idle in the stock if the response remained bleak.”

The UT Health Department had earlier taken doses from private hospitals as there were few takers and these were nearing the expiry date.

At some centres, confusion over the price of the vaccine harried people. JP Singh, a resident of Sector 18, said, “I went to a Sector 20-based private medical facility after taking an appointment on the Co-Win portal for the slot 1 pm to 3 pm. They asked me to pay Rs780 for the booster dose of Covishield, even as the government website displays Rs386 as the cost of the shot. Why is this difference in the rates? Are we being overcharged? The authorities must look into the matter.”

Dr RS Bedi from Bedi Hospital, Sector 33, said, “The response is likely to pick as many people called up at the hospitals to enquire about the booster shot though only four persons turned up at our hospital for the vaccine today. We had purchased the doses at Rs630 each, but now they have slashed the rate of the vaccine. Who will guarantee that more people will come for vaccination even if they compensate the loss by giving us more doses.” — TNS

Just 1 case in Panchkula

Panchkula: The district reported just one case of Covid on Sunday. The overall tally reached 44,138. The active caseload now stands at five. The death count is 414. As many as 43,719 patients have recovered from the disease so far. TNS

Three more infected in Mohali

Mohali: The district reported three fresh cases of Covid on Sunday. There was no new fatality while one patient was cured of the disease. Meanwhile, a total of 19,89,359 beneficiaries in the district have been given anti-Covid shots till date. As many as 11,30,016 people have received the first dose while 8,35,489 of them have got the second dose as well. Apart from this, 23,854 beneficiaries have been given the booster dose or the third dose.

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