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India: Drive-in Covid vaccination centre gaining popularity in Ahmedabad

Civic body has tied up with a private hospital for drive-in vaccination facility

A growing number of residents in Ahmedabad, who are willing to pay Rs1,000 (Dh50) for a Covid jab, now opt for a drive-in vaccination facility, which is proving to be extremely popular.

Motorists do not have to worry about prior registration, spending hours searching for a Covid vaccination centre on an unreliable government app. They just drive up to the vaccine centre at a sprawling public ground, but do not have to get out of their car. The staff check their papers including the payment, inject them and they just drive away.

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has tied up with a private hospital for this drive-through vaccination facility.

The facility began operations on Thursday and 700 persons got vaccinated till 7pm. The drive-through vaccination centre was launched by Apollo Hospital in a public-private partnership with the AMC. “The vaccine is procured directly from the manufacturers by the hospital,” an Apollo spokesperson told the media.

Looking at the response to the facility, the AMC is now planning to have another such centre in a tie-up with a private hospital. It is expected to come up at the drive-in cinema.

The Ahmedabad civic body is providing free vaccination to 35,000 people at 245 centres daily, according to an official. “In this case, Apollo hospital has procured vaccine doses at its own cost and started a payment-based facility facilitated by the AMC. Soon, we will get sufficient stock of vaccines and there would be no requirement of mandatory pre-registration and on-spot registration. Also, more centres will be created by AMC.”