Lucknow Eidgah becomes first religious site in UP turning into vaccine centre

Lucknow: By converting into a makeshift vaccination centre, the Aishbagh Eidgah in Lucknow has become the first religious site in the state where the government has made all facilities to embrace all categories of people to be inoculated with the COVID vaccine.

After being considered as a potential place to convert Eidgah into the COVID vaccination centre, the UP government held a dry run of the vaccination on Wednesday.

People from all age groups, starting from 18 years, will get vaccinated at the campus of the biggest Eidgah in the city from noon on Thursday.

According to officials, the jabs will only be administered to those who have registered online and walk-in vaccination will not be entertained.

The Islamic Centre of India housed within the Eidgah complex will be helping people with their online registrations.

"The capacity at the centre for beneficiaries between 18 and 44 years of age is 150 a day and for those above 44 years of age, is 250 a day. Vaccination will however depend on registrations made in advance and people can select the Eidgah as their choice of centre on the online CoWin portal," the Eidgah spokesperson Maulana Sufiyan Nizami, said.

The spokesperson also added that there will be volunteers to help those who are not able to register online themselves.

The Eidgah was chosen as a vaccination site following the willingness expressed by the authorities including the Imam of the Eidgah to support the administration in Covid management and care.

According to clerics, the step will create awareness about vaccination further and reduce vaccine among the Muslim population, especially the illiterate people in the community.