Over two-thirds in COVID-19 ICUs not vaccinated in Mumbai: Report
As Mumbai witnesses a surge in COVID-19 cases, a report studying the city's COVID-19 hospitals found that two-thirds of ICU patients were unvaccinated. Even as Mumbai's civic body claims that it has vaccinated 80% of the population with at least one dose, a report by The Times of India suggests that more work is required to quell vaccine reluctance and boost coverage.
Share of unvaccinated patients in ICUs very high, say hospitals
Andheri's SevenHills Hospital told TOI that around 68% of their ICU patients were unvaccinated. The hospital further said that 91 of 133 patients have not taken even a single shot. Notably, SevenHills has nearly a third of Mumbai's critical admissions. Similar patterns were also observed in other hospitals in the city. At St George Hospital, seven out of the eight ICU patients were unvaccinated.
93% of 693 COVID-19 deaths among those unvaccinated: Nesco Jumbo
Goregaon's Nesco Jumbo facility told TOI that 93% of the 693 COVID-19 deaths that occurred since March 2021 had been among unvaccinated individuals. Fortis Hospital in Mulund said five out of nine patients in their ICU were partially vaccinated, and two have had no shots.
Victims' families shared stories of vaccine hesitancy, delayed vaccination
Families of victims cited vaccine hesitancy among patients and delays in vaccination as reasons for the lack of immunization. The son of a victim at St George Hospital told TOI that the vaccine drive reached their village late, and even when it did, the village would get barely 50-100 daily doses. Similarly, family members of a 68-year-old patient said he wasn't keen on inoculation.
Maharashtra CM's appeal against crowding
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday urged to stop agitations, meetings, and other programs to avoid crowding, anticipating a COVID-19 surge with Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations around the corner. "We can celebrate festivals later. Let us prioritize the lives and health of our citizens. The situation can go out of hand in view of the spike in daily cases," Thackeray said.
How is the COVID-19 situation in Mumbai?
For the last few days, Mumbai has been reporting more than 400 COVID-19 cases every day. On Sunday, Mumbai registered 379 fresh COVID-19 cases, which pushed the total tally of positive cases to 7,46,725 in the city. The fresh death of five patients took the total toll to 15,998. Overall, the state of Maharashtra reported 4,057 new coronavirus cases and 67 deaths on Sunday.
