Hospitals get ready for Covid shots ahead of vaccination drive on Jan 16

With SII dispatching the Covishield vaccine to 13 cities on Tuesday, the countdown to the vaccination day has begun, and hospitals are getting ready to administer the first shots.

IPGME&R and SSKM Hospital -- one of the oldest general hospitals in the country, built by the East India Company in the heart of Kolkata -- is being primed for Covid-19 vaccination on Saturday. Next to the academic building on the campus, a signage, “Covid Vaccination Site”, points to the scene of action – the auditorium building.

Inside, four makeshift sites have been readied, though on the first day, only one will be operational; the government has allowed vaccination of 100 beneficiaries in a session. The 700-seater auditorium has been converted into an observation room, where beneficiaries will wait for