Vaccination drive
The second phase of the vaccination drive may have commenced with great euphoria, but much confusion prevails. In many instances, health-care workers have not been able to register on the portal and can be seen rushing to the centres for spot registration. Even the elderly are taking a chance at centres which seem to be always crowded with at least 100 to 200 people at a time.
The solution: more private hospitals need to be roped in. Senior citizens must be intimated at least two days before they receive their vaccination. Moreover, health-care workers must be allotted specific areas in a hospital or primary facility and also time slots to help ease the rush.
Dr. Jayasekharan V.P.,
Payyanur, Kannur, Kerala
Not all experiences are bad with corporate hospitals. I have a pleasant interaction to narrate that concerns a corporate hospital in Tennur. No sooner had I filled-in an application form with an ID proof, my vitals (parameters) such as temperature, pulse, oxygen level and BP were measured in no time; data was fed into a computer immediately, with its attached camera taking my picture. In another five minutes I was vaccinated; the entire process took less than 45 minutes. After 30 minutes of waiting, which was mandatory, my vitals were again checked. I had a total of 90 minutes spent in an adjoining open hall with courteous staff on hand. Within an hour, I received SMS alerts for the inoculation and the date for the second jab. A feedback survey also was done through voice and an e-mail.
A.V. Narayanan,
Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu
I am a senior citizen and chose a government peripheral hospital in Chennai, at Ashok Nagar, to get vaccinated even though there was pressure from my family to get it done at a private hospital. I went to the facility on March 4, and was impressed with its state of cleanliness and the efficiency of its staff. Though I had to wait for nearly an hour for registration, tokens were issued. Except for a few people walking in and throwing their weight around, the staff managed the show very well.
At the time of registration, my BP, pulse rate, blood oxygen level were all checked and recorded. Within five minutes of registration, I was called for my vaccination. The nurse informed me that it was Covishield. After the mandatory wait, my pulse and blood oxygen level were checked again and recorded before I was told that I could leave. I was issued a slip for the second dose, on April 1. In contrast, my sister and her family had visited a private hospital the previous day, where, despite things moving faster, there were no checks; the name of the vaccine was given only after asking for it.
T.N. Subramanian,
Chennai
As a student, I have observed that the vaccination process can be enhanced by creating awareness. Many are scared of the process as they do not have access to television and newspapers. Vaccination awareness can be boosted if the government arranges for publicity vans to disseminate basic information. A door-to-door survey can be initiated by anganwadi workers and block level officers, as senior citizens are unable to get vaccinated for several limiting reasons.
Aditya Tiwari,
Chitrakoot, Satna, Madhya Pradesh
Way for the Left
Sitharam Yechury may be right about the role of his party in preventing the BJP from grabbing the reins of power. But the popularity of his own party is on the wane due to the dilution of its core values. His party should have instead aligned with the TMC rather than teaming up with Congress, its political rival in Kerala. The CPI(M) must also avoid being associated with tainted regional parties, as it is a national party.
K. Chellappan,
Chennai
