Chennai, Apr 28 (IANS): The Greater Chennai Corporation is planning to increase the number of screening and vaccination centres across the city as there is a huge crowd waiting at these centres creating major health and administrative issues.

At a screening centre in Vadapalani, people have to wait between two to five hours for the screening to be done which would normally have taken 30 minutes to complete.

Forty nine year old Rajashekharan, a private software company employee, speaking to IANS said, "The situation is grave, I had been to a screening centre at Valasaravakkam on Monday and had to wait for more than 3 hours to complete the screening. There was a miniscule staff and a huge crowd. We don't know who all are Covid-positive and the infection will spread if this continues."

However, Greater Chennai corporation officials are planning to have more screening and vaccination centres in the city as the number of containment zones has increased.

At present, with two doctors and one X-ray machine each centre can cater to a maximum of 100 patients a day while the daily surge of people is more than 500 and hence the decision to open more centres.

The Chennai civic body, according to officials, is planning to add 18 more screening centres to manage the crowd but with the number of containment zones on the rise and Covid-positive cases increasing, it may not be enough.

Ramesh Kumar, a resident of Ashok Pillar in Ashok Nagar, told IANS: "There need to be five screening centres in each zone and then only we may be able to manage. People are now moving out without any hindrance and this has to be stopped by taking effective measures. Otherwise, there will not be any respite and instead the cases will surge wherein no one will be able to put an end to this. I think Chennai corporation will immediately increase the number of screening and vaccination centres and bring things under control."