Haryana: Panchkula administration initiates Drive Thru COVID-19 vaccination for registered beneficiaries

Panchkula (Haryana) [India], May 21 (ANI): On a similar line as of Mohali in Punjab, the Panchkula administration has initiated Drive-through COVID-19 Vaccination for registered beneficiaries at Parade Ground, Sector 5 on Friday.
Gian Chand Gupta, MLA and Speaker Haryana Vidhan Sabha said that the nation has witnessed a sudden increase in demand for vaccinations. "People trust in them more, and this had created a high demand for vaccinations in Panchkula. Therefore we started this initiative. The only condition is that the persons showing up should be registered on the CoWin portal", he added.
The people who had registered themselves on the CoWin portal showed up at the Parade Ground to get themselves vaccinated. The entire initiative was very systematically managed by the Health Department of the Haryana.
Dr Meenu Sasan, District Immunization Officer, and the In-charge of Drive-Thru Vaccination said, "Since there weren't many slots available for 18-44 years of age, this drive-thru serves as a nice platforms for those who really need it".
A local beneficiary Shivam Mishra said, "It is a good initiative as it allows us to maintain social distancing, and it has made getting vaccination easier. However, there should be another similar drive for people who do not have cars".
Adding to this, another beneficiary and local, Saurabh Sahu said, "The initiative is really nice and has made the vaccination process quite convenient".
"There should be more drives like this one, and the government should also plan something for walk-ins", he added.
The beneficiaries were asked to wait for observation for 30 minutes at the other side of the vaccination camp. Volunteers from the hospital were deputed in this area to check on the health of all those who received vaccination and to look out for symptoms of side effects.
Dr Meenu said, "It is very important to stay for observation for 30 minutes as it helps us to ensure that there aren't any side effects from the vaccine".
"The initiative started at 9 AM and will continue till 4 PM. The cars parked here by 4 PM will be vaccinated till 6 PM. It will also be continued tomorrow. After that, we will review to see if it needs to be continued any further," Gupta said.
More than 300 people were vaccinated by noon. The department has estimated that some 2000 vaccinations will be administered in this initiative. (ANI)