Why Hosps Are Not Too Enthused By Idea Of 24x7 Covid Vaccination

Say 9am-5pm Timing Makes Logistical Sense; Delhi Govt Further Expands Infra

- Durgesh Nandan Jha & Alok KN Mishra

New Delhi: The central government’s idea of Covid vaccination being possible 24x7 hasn’t found many takers in Delhi as yet. Most prominent hospitals in the city are still following the 9 am to 5 pm schedule to inoculate people against the coronavirus. Delhi government did, however, add 56 new vaccination centres on Thursday and the day’s tally of 27,959 people were injected at 402 vaccination booths across the capital. Among those who got the jab were 13,794 senior citizens, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his parents.

Union health minister Harsh Vardhan recently said the government had ended the time constraints to up the pace of vaccination. “Citizens can now get vaccinated 24x7 at their convenience,” Vardhan had tweeted.

“The idea of 24x7 vaccination is a welcome step. It is feasible and we will work towards it,” assured Dr S K Sarin, director of, Institute of Liver Biliary Sciences. He said that despite the regular 9 am-5 pm schedule, the institute has been inoculating more people than planned for. “We have a target of 500 vaccinations a day. But on Wednesday, many more queued up, so we had to get doses for another 180 beneficiaries,” Sarin said.