Comorbid patients in Chandigarh hit certificate hurdle to get jab

Naina Mishra
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 12

Persons with comorbidities are facing hiccups in getting the Covid-19 vaccine due to certification issues. As a result, only 1,512 in this priority group have received the first dose of the vaccine.

Many individuals from this priority group claim that they are facing difficulty in getting the certificate for comorbidity as either the conditions in the category of the disease are too stringent or the medical practitioner is not willing to sign the certificate.

On the contrary, as many as 15,848 beneficiaries above 60 years of age have got the vaccine as they do not require any certification of comorbidity.

As per the rule, the beneficiary falling in the age group of 45 to 59 years will be prompted to confirm if he/she has any specified comorbidity. In such cases, the beneficiary will also be advised to bring the comorbidity certificate signed by a registered medical practitioner.

Gopal Krishan (56), a resident of Sector 47, said, “My wife is a patient of asthma for the past 30 years. I have been visiting the GMCH-32 for getting a certificate of comorbidity but no doctor from the hospital is certifying it. I am being told that the GMCH authorities will first appoint officials who will sign the comorbidity certificate. Doctors tell me that they have not been given the authority to sign the certificate.”

Mamta (47) from Sector 30 said, “I have diabetes for the past six years. I am also hypertensive. But I am not taking medicine for hypertension and this makes me ineligible for vaccination. On the one hand, cases are rising rapidly while on the other hand, the common man does not have access to the vaccine with such stringent rules.”

There is a list of 20 comorbidities given by the Centre. The major comorbidities are diabetes (more than 10 years or with complications) and hypertension on treatment; heart failure with hospital admission in the past one year; moderate or severe valvular heart disease; pulmonary artery hypertension.