Kolkata, May 5 (PTI) Setting a new trend in the time of coronavirus a single screen in the city, which had suspended film shows since April last week following escalation of pandemic cases, will throw open its facilities for a vaccination camp from this month.

The theatre will collaborate with a leading private healthcare group for the initiative in which those waiting to be vaccinated will be shown content-rich films for free, director of the popular single screen Arijit Dutta told PTI on Wednesday.

"We will start the camp as soon as vaccines are available from the state government, hopefully this month itself. Medical personnel from the private healthcare group will carry out the vaccination and other health related activities. We will provide the logistics and try to ensure that the wait for vaccines is not tiring for the people who can watch films in air conditioned comfort while strictly following the stipulations of the health experts," he said.

Dutta, also a distributor of films, said the vaccination charge at the theatre will be the same as in private hospitals.

People who come for the vaccine will wait in the auditorium of the theatre as per the COVID-19 protocols. They will ushered to the lobby in the first and second floors for the jab and return to the auditorium for the mandatory 30-minute wait before leaving, he said.

The registration will be online, Dutta said.

The viewing content will be decided based on the profile of the people who come for the vaccination taking into consideration usual popular choices, he said.

"I took the decision to make my facility available for the general people after seeing the rush and prolonged wait at the vaccination camps in the summer heat. Since my theatre is closed now due to the present pandemic situation, what better way to be of help to the people? Dutta said.

An official of Eastern India Motion Pictures Association said Dutta's theatre will be the first in the region to be used as a vaccination camp.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)