Drive in Vaccination Centre, Bhopal – Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board

Video

See Presentation

Gallery

Case Study

In January 2021, Madhya Pradesh Tourism started an open-air drive-in cinema to revitalise the entertainment space and give people something to look forward to again. The movie-going experience provided a much-needed relief in the wake of 2020. The ‘MPT DDX Drive-In Cinema’ made headlines everywhere.

Problems

However, when the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the open-air cinema had to be shut down. The resultant lockdowns and horrific loss of life and suffering made it ill-advisable to attempt to reopen even once the curve started flattening out.

Since the project was the first of its kind in India, a fair bit of planning and preparation was involved. The teams had to undergo strict training and conduct mock drills to assess and improve the time, efficiency and experience of managing vehicle movement, social distancing and seamless driving in and out. MPT had to ensure the hospitality staff could deliver an efficient, safe and enjoyable experience to all citizens, while prioritising the special concerns of at-risk people.

The idea has already been adopted in Delhi, Mumbai and Odisha. As vaccination continues to be one of the priorities of public administration right now, the replicability and scalability of the concept promise great things. The project is an excellent example of the spirit of human resilience and how out-of-the-box thinking and a never-say-die spirit can be the greatest tools against the most terrible crises.

Solutions

MPT decided to convert the cinema space into an open-air drive-in vaccination centre instead. People can now drive into the area, fill up the paperwork for their shots and then wait for their turns inside their own vehicles. The innovative concept means that people do not even have to get out of their cars in order to receive the vaccine: the vaccination drive team comes and administers the shots. People can continue to wait instead their cars after the shot to observe any post-vaccine effects. The setup involves water, tea, coffee and juice refreshments that can be consumed inside the vehicle as one waits. People can make their bookings on the COWIN or Aarogya Setu apps. The centre is open between 5AM and 8PM.

Outcomes

This unique idea has given an uplift to an essential, life-saving activity. People can enjoy the experience of being outdoors and going somewhere nice without actually risking their safety. While people wait, they can enjoy some simple refreshments and watch the Covid-safety film. Receiving the shots inside the cars offers an extra degree of protection to the vulnerable demographics such as the elderly, women, pregnant ladies and those with comorbidities. More than 11,000 doses have been administered in this way in Bhopal. The idea is an elegant solution to problems of long queues, crowding and tiresome waiting at vaccination centres. The entire concept is innovative, allowing people to drive in, wait and receive their vaccination shots all within the comfort of their own vehicle.

For more information, please contact:
Ms Deepika Choudhury, Dy. Director Publicity, Creatives & Digital at deepikaroy.mptb@mp.gov.in

(The content on the page is provided by the Exhibitor)