MUMBAI: In a first for Mumbai city, the civic body has set up a drive-in COVID-19 vaccination centre at Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai's (MCGM) Kohinoor public parking at Dadar, especially for senior citizens and the disabled. 

MCGM which is commonly known as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has set up over 135 vaccination centres across Mumbai since the inoculation drive began on January 16 this year and according to BMC officials as of date, a total of 24,86,827 vaccine doses had been administered in the city.

Making the announcement of the new drive-in vaccination centre on social media and other forums BMC said that Mumbaikars driving in for their 2nd dose of Covishield can get their vaccine jabs while still sitting inside their vehicles. 

According to officials as of now eight doctors and 20 nurses have been deployed at the centre, and if sufficient stock of vaccine doses is available, it has the capacity to vaccinate around 5,000 persons a day, although they were expecting to vaccinate about 500 people on day one. 

The BMC informed in a release that it was expecting to receive one lakh vaccine doses by late today night, so vaccination of those above 45 will take place between 12 noon to 5 pm on Wednesday.

Registration will be mandatory for those taking the first dose, while those taking the second dose can walk in without registration, the civic body said. Those in the 18 to 44 age group will be administered vaccine doses only at five existing centres between 9 am to 5 pm.