Centre must streamline strategy on mass jab procurement

What are your suggestions to improve the system at vaccination centres?

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Door-to-door campaign an option

In order to prevent panic at vaccination centres, it is better to carry out an area-wise door-to-door vaccination campaign and administer first dose of the vaccine to the beneficiaries at their homes rather than calling them in numbers at the jab centres. Also, the second dose of the vaccine should be administered to the beneficiaries in their respective wards on the lines of polling booths in elections.

Dr Sahil Jindal

Maintain record of beneficiaries

Amid the reported shortage of vaccine doses at various vaccination centres in the state, getting the jab itself has become a challenge for the beneficiaries. Long queues of people are no more a new thing to be witnessed for getting inoculated. The government rolled out vaccination drive in January this year but the drive didn’t prove to be a much success as soon after it was open for all above the age of 18, various centres started reporting low or no stocks of vaccines which is a reason why people started becoming panicky. As with the influx of the second wave and unexpected damage to the health of the masses added to the people’s woes and they started rushing to centres to get inoculated. Firstly, it was for 60 plus, then for 45-59 having chronic diseases as recommended by a prescribed doctor. After few weeks the government allowed vaccination for 18 plus creating a great fuss between the supply and demand of the vaccination dose. As due to less supply and more demand there originated a scarcity of doses. The government had to even extend the second dose of Covishied earlier to minimum gap of first dose to second dose of 42 days and then from 84 days. Whatever may be the reasons but one thing is clear that with awareness on media the government has succeeded in creating awareness among masses. Another thing which should be done is identification of all those who have been vaccinated as done through voter lists. Vaccination has proved to a great shield to prevent masses from falling prey to the virus thus the government must ensure early vaccination of all. Deputy Commissioners and Chief Medical Officers should well in advance aware people of the number of doses available for vaccination so that thepaper work is carried out a day earlier and on the date of vaccination, the dose be administered at a war footing to avoid any rush at the centres. The state and the Union Government needs to make a new mechanism to curb the spread of the virus effectively.

Rajat Kumar Mohindru

Crowding at sites can lead to more spread

This is to bring in light the issue of over-crowding at vaccination centres that is really becoming a great cause for concern. The centres instead of becoming panacea for the public are turning into Covid contagious centres, as when people are called for vaccination as per the appointment granted, gather largely into close ended lines make it a congested zone. Even people coming for vaccination and joining long lines, it is not known who is the carrier of the virus as most of the patients are also asymptomatic, which poses a great danger. There have also been instances when people after getting vaccinated have shown symptoms of Covid, there is a need that a proper mechanism for vaccination should be set-up. Vaccination centres should make an appointment of only limited people,lines should be segregated keeping in view the age and health related factors, only those people should be vaccinated which have valid RT-PCR reports (conducted within 72 hrs) or instead of it rapid antigen testing should be conducted at vaccination centres which provides results in small frame of time before vaccination. New SOPs (standard operating procedures) shall be issued at district level by the concerned authorities which shall include by attaching the police officials or volunteers within area where the vaccination centre is set up to maintain discipline at centres .To make the vaccination drive more easier door to door vaccination delivery set up should be introduced in each areas and polio drops vaccination policy shall be followed by appointing nurses or health volunteers that can administer the vaccine at home, even a drive in vaccination centres can also be set-up within the existing infrastructure which is also now being followed in many parts of the country . There are many trailing options, idea is to bring them into use.

Raja Cheema

Onus on Centre for this condition

To fight the virus, all above 18 years of age are to be vaccinated as per protocol. After initial hiccups, the vaccine drive started picking up pace as huge number of aware beneficiaries started getting a shot in the arm. But sudden disruption in vaccine supplies, severely hit the campaign at most of the designated centres. At privatehospitals, the drive was almost abandoned as the government stopped the supply to them and also took back the remaining stocks with them, thus derailing the momentum substantially. There is a feeling of despondency and helplessness among beneficiaries. Lakhs of people who got their first dose from private hospitals, are now heading towards government hospitals to complete the process with the second dose. Notably, the Union Government in the annual budget, made budgetary provisions amounting to Rs 35,000 crore for Covidvaccine. Despite such whopping allocation, it has been unable to streamline the required amount of dose for quick inoculation. Strangely, the Centre has rather asked states to float global tenders at its own to meet their demands. On the contrary, overseas suppliers prefer to deal with the Centre directly and are reluctant to respond to the interest of states, individual buyers or private institutions. As a result, people’s faith is seriously eroded in our health programmes.

Acknowledging that private hospitals are proven backbone of health infrastructure in our country, which earlier during drives for polio, TB and other such diseases delivered exceptionally good services. It would, therefore, be prudent that the Centre must undertake singular responsibility to procure medicine from available sources as well as further facilitate domestic production to fasten vaccination of majority of the population. The government should designate a nodal agency to coordinate and distribute medicine to approved vaccination centres, both run by private and government hospitals as per their requirements. Supplies of vaccine from districthospitals/stores to all authorised private hospitals should be resumed immediately to facilitate easy access and avoid crowding. All said and done, we have to act fast and vaccinate our people as soon possible. Experts are warning of not just the third wave but a succession of other variants apart from emerging side affects like the recently notified epidemic mucormycosis. Whereas providing medicine adequately at uniform rates, if not free, is the sole obligation of the government, our civic societies, NGOs and service clubs which have never lagged behind to assist during distress, may actively be involved to play a vital role in door-to-door campaigning and administering the dose smoothly to end the epidemic.

Nirmaljit Singh Chatrath

Equitable supply of doses need of hour

Epidemiologists, virologists and immunologists worldwide have unanimously opined that strict compliance with Covid protocol and rapid inoculation of the entire population to achieve herd immunity are the most effective measures to flatten the curve and protect citizens against possible wave in future. From mid-January onwards, India had launched its three-tier arduous but aggressive vaccination drive in a phased manner. After initial hesitation, it slowly elicited an enthusiastic public response as the emergence of new strains has raised serious concerns. But unfortunately, this zealous exercise has miserably faltered due to multiple reasons: Staggering supply and low allocation of life-saving jabs, hasty permission for walk-in jabs for all without first covering the vulnerable population, ignorance about the centralised Co-WIN portal for online registration and its technical glitches. Moreover, the revision of schedules for the second jab, violation of fixed time slots and lack of proper seating arrangement and portable drinking water on the premises have resulted in utter confusion and chaos at the vaccination centres. After a long wait in the scorching heat, people who jostle with each other to get the jab are asked to come another day. Disgruntled, they return home without inoculation. Amid gross mismanagement, brazen violation of mandatory safety norms may further lead to virus transmission. Many inoculation centres are closed because of non-availability of vaccines. In the face of Moderna and Pfizer pharmaceuticals refusing to send doses directly to Indian states, the Centre should streamline its strategy on mass vaccine procurement and indigenous production, ensure sustained and equitable supply of doses to every state and remove GST on them till the pandemic is over. There should be separate queues for administering doses to beneficiaries of first and second doses and that for senior citizens and those with co-morbidities.

DS Kang

Some institutions doing good job

Covid vaccination centres have been witnessing large crowd after the second phase of the nationwide inoculation drive was launched. Long queues and no social distancing are a serious threat to masses as these may prove to be super-spreader events. People rush to vaccination centres in huge crowds and throw the norms to winds by risking their own and many others’ lives. Another reason behind huge crowds at hospitals is irregular supply of doses. People visit centre to get jabbed but later come to know that the stocks have exhausted. Online registration process is also not smooth. A lot of glitches are witnessed there which add the people’s woes. Some organisations such as Radha Soami Satsang Beas, Jain Samaj and the IMA house are doing a commendable job in the success of the drive by making proper arrangements of maintaining physical distance, sitting arrangements and providing drinking water to the beneficiaries. Proper supply of vaccine doses should be ensured by the government and people too should act responsibly and follow the norms strictly.

Shashi Kiran

Vaccine availability should be ensured

The city has already witnessed smooth vaccination drive during its Phase I and II except a few instances of wastage of vaccines. Under the digital platform provided by Co-WIN, both walk-in registration and online registration coexisted well without any major problems. But the hastily beginning of Phase III for the 18-44 age group was seen with so many hurdles such as short and inadequate supply of vaccines due to widening of scope and rapid spread of the virus. Moreover, the second jab of already vaccinated under previous drives were required to be ensured within the time period of complete inoculation. However, there are some suggestions for smooth running of the third phase of the drive without chaos. The age group of 18-44 may be split into two groups — 18-30 and 31-44 — and there should be separate vaccination centers for both these groups. They should be notified accordingly to get registered online. A prior estimate of vaccines should be made and matching supply be ensured before online booking of slots. There may be separate vaccination centers for walk in registration and online registration. Area/colony-wise mobile vans can be arranged for on the spot vaccination of eligible beneficiaries. Drive-through arrangements can also be thought of in some pre-identified areas of the city.

Jagdish Chander

Irregular supply of doses to blame

As the second wave of Covid rages on, the state is confronted with the potential challenges of inadequate and irregular supply of jabs and crowding at vaccination centres that have hit hard the momentum of the ongoing massive inoculation drive. These centres are witnessing numerous chaotic and confusing incidents every day. Sometimes, the situation goes out of control despite the presence of police. Fearing the all-pervasive virus and plausible interruptions in the vaccination process, people of all age groups, including the first and second-dose beneficiaries, line up at inoculation centres much before the given time schedule. When the medical staff begins vaccination, they scramble for getting the shots at the earliest. Both the medical authorities and the police who try to manage jumbo crowds face unwanted public wrath and complaints. Realising that a majority of people, particularly the old and illiterate, are unable to register them online, the government has allowed walk-ins but they come without Aadhaar card. Physical distancing often goes for a toss and these vaccination centres may become super spreaders of the deadly contagion. People should cooperate with the authorities to facilitate the smooth functioning of the vaccination programme. Senior citizens, those requiring the booster dose alone and vulnerable groups should be inoculated on priority. India has delivered over 20-crore doses but it is merely three per cent of its huge population. Given the prevailing shortage of doses, it is not advisable to stop walk-in vaccination or shut down vaccination centres. How will the country achieve its ideal of universal inoculation? Showing some flexibility in the booking process, the Centre should woo international pharma companies to attain jab sufficiency. The Health Department should exhort people to maintain proper physical distancing at inoculation centres.

Tajpreet S Kang

People must adhere to appointment

Incidents of chaos and large gatherings at vaccination centres may add to the problems of the Health Department as the threat of such locations being a super-spreader are more, thereby failing the efforts put in by every individual, administration and the government. To reduce the stress on the resources and avoid such heavy crowds at vaccination centres, it is imperative that the vaccination is done on the basis of self-registration by the residents and arrangements be in place to meticulously adhere to the appointment schedule given to the applicant. Further, the process of inoculation doesn’t need any health infrastructure. Thus, permanent health camps may be arranged for the purpose at some religious/educational organisations, wherein proper infrastructure to tackle crowds by following norms is already in place. This will also ensure that unlike health centres and hospitals, the chances of individuals contracting the virus are also reduced.

Umesh

Use educational institutions for drive

Earlier, people were hesitating over getting inoculated but now they are flocking to vaccination centres and crowds of beneficiaries can be seen daily at the vaccination centres. Another reason for people being panicky is the surfacing of reports of wastage of vaccine doses and their low stocks throughout the nation in the recent past. Finding it as the only way to stay safe and not be affected by the deadly virus, people can be seen in a hurry to get their first and second dose of the vaccine. The government not providing vaccines to private hospitals is also a reason why people fear of not being left behind to get inoculated, resulting in chaos at vaccination centres. Owing to the pandemic, as the educational institutes are closed during this period, vaccination centres should be set up various schools or colleges to lessen the burden of major vaccination centres. This will also facilitate local beneficiaries and make it convenient to handle rush at local jab centres. The Civil Surgeons can order private hospitals to spare some staff for the vaccination drive and in this way huge rush at government hospitals can be avoided.

Prem Parkash Punj

QUESTION

The state government is preparing to set up a portal for online common counselling for college admissions. Do you think that holding online counselling is a more appropriate method in the present scenario?

Suggestions in not more than 200 words can be sent to jalandhardesk@tribunemail.com by Thursday (June 3).

Covid appropriate behaviour must be adopted

• The pandemic is still with us, thriving and mutating-These are the prophetic words of the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. But, unfortunately, nobody is paying heed to these words. Neither the government, nor the administration and the public. The Centre, more so the ruling party, added fuel to the fire by organising huge rallies. Despite the fact that the scientists had warned of the inevitable second wave of the virus, as had happened in the US and Europe
• There is another problem of vaccine shortage. The government exported nearly eight crores of vaccines doses to other countries. So, the results are before us. Now, it’s time to take some strict measures, which many state governments are doing. There was vaccine hesitancy among people, in the initial stages, which is still being seen in the rural areas. As the people are being made aware of the efficacy of the vaccine, they are thronging the vaccine centres in hordes
• The government and the administration should warn and advise people of dangers of such crowding at vaccine centres. The government should properly and systematically inform the public about the availability of the vaccine at particular centres and also make them aware of the time of their turn to get the jab. Covid appropriate behaviour should also be observed at these centres. The public address system should be used to inform the people the availability of the vaccines at particular place.

Dr JS Wadhwa