'Vaccine on Wheels' starts in city

KOLKATA: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Thursday launched Vaccination on Wheel at Posta Bazar to fast track the inoculation of the super spreaders in the city. As part of the initiative, a bus was turned into a COVID-19 vaccination centre, which will travel to different markets of Kolkata to vaccinate priority groups, including vegetable and fish sellers, who cannot go for inoculation leaving their businesses for hours. An air-conditioned bus was provided by the Transport Department. The bus with doctors and health workers was stationed at the office of Posta Bazaar Merchants' Association. About 300 persons of super spreader category were inoculated. "We have a number of air conditioned buses in our fleet and presently only a few of them are running for special purposes amid strict containment measures. The Vaccination on Wheels will travel to markets, truck terminals, bus depots etc and carry out spot vaccination. We have readied another similar bus and it will start work soon," Firhad Hakim, Chairman Board of Administrators, KMC, who is also the state Transport minister said.

Shashi Panja, Minister for Women and Child Development and local MLA, was also present at the inaugural programme. She said traders of Posta market had proposed regarding the vaccination of the hawkers and vendors, following which she had taken up the matter with the KMC.