A number of hospitals in the city saw an unusual rush for Covid vaccine doses on Thursday, the first day of vaccination for all people above 45.

At a few hospitals, however, the turnout was much less, which officials said could be because many people were waiting for the initial rush to subside before scheduling their jab slot.

Many hospitals are planning to start administering doses in the evening to help working professionals.

A Calcutta Municipal Corporation-run Covid vaccination centre in Kasba on Thursday. Bishwarup Dutta

At the RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences, 120 people had been vaccinated between 8am and 10am on Thursday. About 100 of them were people between 45 and 59.

Over the last few days, the numbers were around 30 during the same two-hour period.

The scene was similar at Peerless Hospital, where 150 people had taken the jab by noon. Most of them were between 45 and 59. The hospital was vaccinating about 50 people by noon over the past few days.

AMRI Hospitals vaccinated more than 350 people between 45 and 59 at its three units. An official said about 40 per cent of them took the jab between 8am and 11am.

Most hospitals had people above 60 taking the jab in the afternoon on Thursday.

From Thursday, all people between 45 and 59 became eligible to be vaccinated against Covid. Till Wednesday, only senior citizens and people between 45 and 59 with comorbidities, as well as healthcare personnel and frontline workers, were eligible for the shot.

The post-vaccination waiting area at the RN Tagore hospital Bishwarup Dutta

“It is clear that the working population prefers to take the jab at a time that does not coincide with their work schedule. We vaccinated about 120 people between 8am and 10am - 100 of them were between 45 and 59,” said R. Venkatesh, the regional head (east) of Narayana Health, which owns the RN Tagore hospital.

At Belle Vue Clinic, 324 people were vaccinated on Thursday, compared with 124 on Wednesday. Nearly 80 per cent of the 324 people were between 45 and 59, an official of the hospital said.

Though the bulk of the people in the 45-59 group took the jab in the morning, there were takers in the afternoon, too. Anindya Bhaduri, 46, a sales manager with a private company, took the shot at the RN Tagore hospital around noon.

“I told my office that I wanted to take the shot and they instantly agreed. My tours will start in May and I want to get fully vaccinated by then,” Bhaduri said.

Officials of several hospitals said they were expecting a higher turnout on Friday, which is a holiday, and Saturday. The Centre has asked vaccination sites to remain open on Sundays, too.

A number of people said more hospitals should extend the vaccination hours in the evening to quickly cover the 45-59 age group.

“I have to skip the office for a day if I have to take the shot in the morning or afternoon. It is better if I can take the shot after completing my day’s work. More hospitals should extend their vaccination hours, till around 10pm,” said Rajib Pal, who works at a multinational IT company.

Officials of some private hospitals said the turnout on Thursday was lower than expected but hoped the numbers would pick up soon.

“I think a lot of professionals did not come today thinking there would be a long queue. I am expecting a bigger turnout on Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” said an official of a private hospital.