Low-income groups struggle to get slots for jabs
Opening the vaccination drive for the 18-44 age group means little for people from lowincome groups without access to digital resources, as they are struggling with registrations and scheduling slots.
Gautam Budh Nagar had begun the inoculation drive for the 18-44 age group from May 10. However, limited stock have kept many from scheduling the slots.
“My mother-in-law is 62-years-old. When she had to get the jab, we took her to the district hospital. When I found out last week that vaccination for the 18-44 age group has also started, we went to the district hospital again but were told to register online first,” said Sarita, a Sarfabad resident who works as a cook.
“My daughter tried registering for us but was unable to do it. I then had to take help from one of my employers. She told us that four people can be registered with one number. We somehow managed to register ourselves but none of us have been able to book a slot. My employer said that the available slots are for hospitals in Jewar or Dadri, which are very far. Now, we are just waiting and hoping that our chance to get vaccinated comes soon,” she said.
Low-income group families often share a single smartphone among all members and hardly have access to desktops or laptops.
“We had the same problem when my younger siblings had their online classes last year. I
have a smartphone while my parents have a basic mobile. Ours is a joint family, where five of us, including me, are eligible
for jab. I had to ask a neighbour to register me for the vaccination from his number so that I can register others from my phone.
But so far, we have only been able to register ourselves,” said Monu, a Hoshiyarpur village resident who works as a car cleaner.
Many of them are unaware of the process. “We have so many neighbours coming to us for help with navigating the COWIN portal and registering themselves. Many of them don’t have access to smartphones, while others are unfamiliar with the process. Registration is one problem, scheduling an appointment is another issue, with the unavailability of slots at centres close by,” said Yogesh Rana, a resident of Noida’s JJ colony.
Many say they don’t want to go to private centres as the jabs there are on a paid basis. “I helped my domestic help with the process. While scheduling, I found openings at a paid centre for her family but she refused. I offered to pay for it but even then she had me book slots at a government centre,” said Ritika Singh, a resident of Sector 75.
Residents say they are helping their domestic helpers and workers register. “Many residents have helped their domestic helps and other staff with the registration and scheduling. But we can’t do anything else unless we have the admin’s approval. The current trends show a higher positivity rate in rural areas. It is imperative to have people in these belts get vaccinated. Some of them don’t have valid IDS, others are not techsavvy. It is very important to reach out to them soon,” said Rajiva Singh, president of Noida Federation of Apartment Owners Association. The district magistrate could not be reached.