Confusion, complaints mar vax for spreaders
Many lament they had not been given identification slips
The 10-day special vaccination drive for targeted groups of people began in the city, but not without some complaints and lack of preparedness on the part of authorities, in this case, the GHMC, leading the drive in the city.
Several people at some of the 32 locations where special camps have been set up, complained that they had not been given identification slips by the GHMC to get the vaccination. There were instances of individuals who did not fall into the identified groups making their way into some vaccination centres and getting the shots amidst confusion.
At the Red Rose Palace near the Haj House in Nampally, this confusion led to issuing of memos to the GHMC deputy commissioner Goshamahal Circle, and the assistant medical officer of the civic body when chief secretary Somesh Kumar, who was on an inspection visit, found that one person who was administered the vaccine, did not fall into any of the ‘superspreader’ categories for whom the current vaccine drive was launched.
Vaccinations began around 8 am at most of the centres and were a smooth affair though arrangements were put in place till late in the afternoon. At some centres, as in the case of the one in Musheerabad, shamianas were set up till 2 pm to provide shade for those coming to take the vaccine. This was one of the busiest centres on the day with a large number of people turning up to get their vaccine shots. Though their lunch hour was delayed because of the rush and the workload, Jyothi, one of the ASHA workers here, said it was good to be part of the drive and the work began early in the day.
Dr Harisri Ganta, who was deployed at this centre, said a waiting area was set up for the vaccinated so they could stay for the mandatory half-anhour after getting their shot before leaving the centre. Anyone with any complaint, would be attended to immediately, he added. At the Red Rose Palace, Keshav, a cobbler, who runs a small stall in the area, said he had some trouble after reaching the place as he was not provided a vaccination eligibility slip by the GHMC. “No one approached me at my shop and because someone said vaccines were being given to people like me, I came here,” he said.
At Post-Graduate College for Law in Basheerbagh, several of those who lined up were from fertiliser and seed shops on the Hyderguda Road in the area, known for its agriculture related businesses. Marthand Prabhu, who owns a fertiliser shop who got vaccinated, said, “on an average, 150 to 200 people come to the shop daily. This is a good initiative to get us vaccinated.”
A huge crowd gathered at Rainbow Hospitals at Banjara Hills as there was a miscommunication that it was a priority centre for the vaccination of highrisk groups. People without registration came to the hospital and wanted to know if they could be vaccinated.
The crowd took the hospital management by surprise as they had scheduled vaccination for those who were registered and given appointments. The management took time to explain to people that there was no special drive in their hospital.