At Ludhiana civil surgeon’s office, testing, vaccination go arm in arm
LUDHIANA: The health department does not practice what it preaches as it is conducting vaccination and testing at the same facility ignoring the threat it poses.
Residents in large numbers, some symptomatic, were seen standing in close contact with each other to get their Covid tests done at the entrance of blood transfusion centre at the civil surgeon’s office, while inside the room, people, majority of them elderly, were running into each other to get vaccinated.
High drama took place in the afternoon when the Covid testing was suddenly suspended and people were asked to leave.
Among those waiting were police officers who had recently come in contact with police commissioner Rakesh Agrawal.
The residents complained that the timing of samples collection was till 2pm but it was suspended at 1.30pm.
“I came here in the morning and saw people jostling with each other. At first I thought the queue was for vaccination but I was told that the crowd had gathered for Covid tests while the vaccination was taking place inside the room. I somehow managed to enter and got myself vaccinated,” said an elderly woman, refusing to be named.
Vinay Kumar of Kundanpuri, who visited the civil surgeon’s office for the Covid test, returned home without getting the test done.
“The doctor who was collecting the samples suddenly wrapped up the at 1.30pm and told those waiting to come tomorrow. There were nearly 50 of us,” he said.
District epidemiologist Dr Ramesh Bhagat did not answer the call, civil surgeon Dr Sukhjeevan Kakkar said he will ask Dr Ramesh Bhagat to look into the matter.
‘Will ask SMO to set-up separate counters’
The nodal officer of the vaccination drive, Dr Kiran Ahluwalia, said she will ask the SMO concerned to set-up the Covid and vaccination counters at separate locations.
“The process of vaccination and testing were taking on the same premises. Earlier, very few people were turning up for sampling as well as vaccination but in past few days numbers have increased. So, it is important that sampling and vaccination should be done at separate locations,” Dr Ahluwalia said.