IMA set to vaccinate 5 lakh kin of members

Pune: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) — the national body of private doctors — is planning to vaccinate family members of its 3.56 lakh medical practitioners who are associated with the organisation across the country.

The organisation is in talks with vaccine manufacturers to procure 10 lakh doses of the Covid vaccines and will be administering them at concessional rates.

The IMA’s national general secretary Jayesh Lele said, “We aim to vaccinate about five lakh relatives of our members. But the execution of this plan depends on procurement of the doses.” The IMA is a charitable organisation and members said the drive is being held as a welfare activity on a no-loss, no-profit basis.

"We have requested the vaccine manufacturers to give us the doses on a no-loss, no-profit basis so that we can pass on the benefit to our members. We are yet to hear from them (manufacturers),” Lele said.

The medical body primarily aims to cover families of members in rural areas.

Sanjay Patil, chairman of the IMA’s Hospital Board of India (HBI), Pune branch, said, “Many family members of our doctors, especially those in the 18-44 group, have not yet received the shots. The drive will benefit many and foster the confidence among doctors that like them, their family members are also being protected against the contagion.”


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