New Delhi, Jan 16 (PTI) From a 48-year-old nurse at LNJP Hospital to a sanitation staff of AIIMS, over 4,300 healthcare workers received their first shots on Saturday, with Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain asserting that the COVID-19 vaccination drive was "successfully conducted" on the first day.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal visited the vaccination centre at the state-run LNJP Hospital, accompanied by Jain and Chief Secretary Vijay Dev.

Interacting with reporters there, Jain said less sites of Bharat Biotech-made Covaxin were earmarked as quantity of its doses was less compared to the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine Covishield.

"Today, 4,319 healthcare workers were administered vaccine," a senior official said. 

"The drive was successfully conducted on the first day," Jain was quoted as saying by the official.

Of the total 81 sites chosen for the exercise, Covishield was administered at 75 centres, including LNJP Hospital, and Covaxin at six sites, including AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital.

Jain later tweeted and lauded the scientists, saying, "Reviewed the vaccination drive at LNJP hospital with Hon'ble CM Shri @arvindkejriwal ji. Our front line workers received the first dose of the vaccine. I appreciate their endless efforts and dedication. Kudos to our scientists for their tireless work! #CovidVaccine".

In another tweet, he said, "Honour to have witnessed the historical vaccine roll-out in capital. I appreciate the arrangements made by the doctors & administration of Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital, for facilitating vaccination drive."

Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH) spokesperson Chhavi Gupta said 45 people received shots on day one of the exercise at the hospital on whose premises the central storage facility for vaccines have been set up for the drive.

Sources said the number of vaccinated people at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital stood at 27.

Senior BJP leader Vijay Goel and North Delhi Mayor Jai Prakash visited the LNJP Hospital ahead of the start of the vaccination roll-out drive.

"Modiji has taken the leadership, throughout the battle against the pandemic, from lockdown to vaccination. And, today when some countries are going for another lockdown, India is rolling out the world's largest vaccination exercise," Goel told reporters.

Prakash said the NDMC hospitals are not part of the phase one though dry run was conducted there, they will be part of the next phase, hopefully.

The 81 sites, included nearly an even split of government and private hospitals, such as Max hospital, Fortis hospital, Apollo Hospital and Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and BLK Hospital.

"Sir Ganga Ram Hospital today carried out successful vaccination of 100 healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses and paramedical staff," the hospital said in a statement.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan visited the hospital to inspect Covishield vaccination programme at the site, it said.

"India has launched today the biggest vaccination programme. We should be proud of India's vaccination programme and I assure the people of the efficacy of the vaccination. I have visited Sir Ganga Ram Hospital many times during the peak of Covid crisis," he was quoted as saying in the statement.

"That is the reason I am visiting this hospital today as Sir Ganga Ram Hospital has been in the forefront during the fight with COVID. People should not play politics in this important vaccination programme," Vardhan said.

According to D S Rana, Chairman (Board of Management), Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, "We are happy to note that today being the first day, everything went of smoothly and no adverse reaction of Covishield was observed."

Ashutosh Chaturvedi, Emergency Nursing Head, Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, was the first one to get the vaccination at the facility.

"I am not having any sign of anxiety or reaction. Everyone should get the vaccine shot and even after the vaccination, people must follow the safety guidelines issued by the government," he said.

"A total of 100 healthcare workers were vaccinated at the Max Smart hospital, Saket," a spokesperson of the hospital said.

India's drugs regulator has approved Oxford COVID-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute, and indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country.

Kejriwal had earlier said that over 8,000 healthcare workers were planned to be immunised every scheduled day in the national capital.

The vaccine will be administered on four days of the week -- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

(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)