The state health department has increased its Covid vaccination numbers in Bengal with four mega drives ahead of Durga Puja as the process will remain suspended at over 12,000 grassroots health centres on four days of the festival, starting Saptami.

Officials said the decision to provide relief to thousands of health workers during the festive days had been taken in view of their tireless service since the outbreak of the pandemic in early 2020.

However, though grassroots-level centres will take a vaccination break on four days of the puja, the jab will be available at all medical colleges, district and sub-divisional hospitals like usual.

Sources said they were also trying to keep the vaccination process on at the 341 block hospitals across the state during the festive days.

“Our colleagues at the grassroot levels need a break to be with their families during the festival days. All the health workers serve us in emergencies and they have been working tirelessly since the outbreak of the pandemic. So, we opted to organise four mega camps this month (before Durga Puja) to counter the holiday effect,” said a senior state health official.

The state vaccinated over 22 lakh people in two days of its mega drives on October 5 and 7. The third mega drive was on Saturday in which around 13 lakh people were vaccinated till 6pm. On usual days, the number of vaccination hovers around 4 lakh. The last mega drive will be held on October 11.

“We are discussing if the vaccination process can be continued at block-level facilities during puja. It is also a fact that footfall for vaccination will be low during puja. We have vaccinated people in a large number to compensate the break during the festival,” said Jayanta Sukul, an additional director of health services who looks after Covid vaccination for Bengal.

Health officials said the rate of vaccination was lower in September-end because of floods in six Bengal districts. That’s why four mega drives were helping them shore up the vaccination count.

Covid vaccinations started in January.

However, grassroots health workers were involved from early last year to identify the people with fever and collecting samples of those with suspected Covid symptoms.

“No health worker was allowed leave during puja last year because of the threat of the second wave and everyone knows the situation in the country, including Bengal. It is not that all grassroots health workers will get leaves on all four days but the pressure will be less if vaccination is suspended,” said an official.

“Apart from the vaccination, there is the scheduled work of immunisation of children and other regular health-related work, including taking care of the pregnant women,”