COVID Vaccination – Your Safeguard

After a year of uncertainty and apprehension, the end of the COVID nightmare seems to be in sight! With the development of COVID Vaccines, a new set of questions and doubts have emerged.
For clarity, and answers and to allay all apprehensions about the COVID Vaccination with correct facts, V Citizens Action Network (VCAN) organised a Social Sanchar on 29th January 2021 to talk about “COVID Vaccination – Your Safeguard” with Shri. Suresh Kakani, Mumbai’s Additional Municipal Commissioner, who also had with him the Dean of Sion Hospital Dr. Manoj Joshi.

The session was a fully digital Social Sanchar, and was broadcast live on Facebook and YouTube, and was joined by viewers across the city primarily and also from across the globe.

Smt. Indrani Malkani, Chairman & Managing Trustee of VCAN, welcomed all viewers to the Social Sanchar with a brief introduction about VCAN and mentioned its overarching objective, which is to establish effective linkages between Government and Citizens and that VCAN works in partnership with several Government Authorities. She cited the focus areas of VCAN’s work, the interactive Web Portal and the live interactive talk show titled TogetherVCAN’s Social Sanchars with Senior Government Officials as Guest Speakers and also about the new series ‘Health and Wellbeing’ with leading Doctors and Healthcare Professionals as Speakers.

She further highlighted that keeping current concerns in mind, VCAN has focused on health issues and urge the viewers to visit the recently created dynamic page on VCAN’s Web Portal, titled Health and COVID  and see under the title “When we are safe, Nation is safe!” where the COVID Vaccination documents can also be accessed.

Smt. Malkani warmly welcomed Shri. Suresh Kakani, Mumbai’s Additional Municipal Commissioner, and also welcomed Dr. Mohan Joshi, Dean of Sion Hospital who was to assist Shri Kakani with the purely medical issues that could be raised during the session.

Thereafter, Smt. Malkani conveyed her grateful thanks to VCAN’s Support Partner Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL). She was deeply appreciative of BPCL for supporting the evening’s Social Sanchar and other initiatives of VCAN from time to time.

She then thanked VCAN’s Implementing Partner Citizens Association for Child Rights (CACR)

She specially thanked the Student Council, the NSS Students and all the Students of VCAN’s College Partner Jai Hind College and all the other *Colleges who have associated with VCAN.

She also thanked Team Teknowlegion for powering the fully digital Social Sanchars and for keeping VCAN’s Web Portal going, and VCAN’s social media consultant Shri. Sumit Lulla, all viewers, colleagues and networking partners and friends in the media.

*To see the list of colleges, Click here

Smt. Malkani informed the viewers that several questions; some on general issues and some regarding individual patients, had already been received and forwarded to Shri. Kakani, for him to include the answers in his opening remarks.
After informing the format flow of the Social Sanchar to viewers and to Shri Kakani, Smt. Malkani invited her fellow trustee Shri. V. Ranganathan, a former Municipal Commissioner of Mumbai, and who has also led the State of Maharashtra as the Chief Secretary, to introduce the Guest Speaker.

To view the brief profile of Shri Suresh Kakani click here

The opening remarks by Shri. Suresh Kakani were detailed and answers to most questions were addressed, please see the video to get a comprehensive understanding.

Some highlights of the issues that came through from the questions received are shared below:

• Who are the beneficiaries, the sequence of categories and the process meant for the general public
• Who and which category should not go for vaccination and what are the restrictions including age
• What documents to carry as ID proof
• Which are the centers and who to contact in case of reactions post vaccination after leaving the vaccination center
• Allergies; food, drugs (medicines), etc.
• What are the contraindicatives in relation to medicines given for patients with Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis and other medicines which are immune suppressant
• Subsequent costs and use of private facilities
• About the availability of the vaccine to the public
• The difference between the two vaccines – Covishield and Covaxin and who is administering the respective vaccines

Shri Suresh Kakani gave a detailed update on the COVID Vaccination processes and schedule and answered nearly all questions raised. Such questions which were related to purely medical issues, was answered by Dr. Manoj Joshi, Dean of Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital and Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College, (Sion Hospital).
The interactive session with Shri. Kakani with medical inputs from Dr. Joshi was clear and easy to understand.

Please watch Shri. Suresh Kakani’s full session click here

Shri. Suresh Kakani’s opening remarks and Q&A starts at 12:00 minutes click here

The session ended with Shri Kakani confirming that a comprehensive information circular will be published by MCGM shortly and will be given to VCAN to propagate the information to citizens. Smt. Malkani assured Shri Kakani that VCAN is committed to assist MCGM at all times.

Thereafter on behalf of the Trustees of VCAN, Smt. Malkani thanked and presented an online memento of appreciation to Shri. Suresh Kakani and mentioned that the actual memento will be delivered to his office. She also thanked Dr. Joshi.
She then thanked the viewers for joining the session and ended the digital Social Sanchar.

To view the video of the session, click here

To view the press coverage by the Hindustan Times Mumbai on JAN 30, 2021 click here

To view the press coverage by the Mid-Day Mumbai on FEB 4, 2021 click here