PANAJI: Although the government has increased vaccination centres, it is yet to simultaneously mobilise people to take the vaccine. Many have attributed the lukewarm response to the top down approach the government has used to administer vaccines.
Some centres functioning from 9am to 5pm, have been receiving response in single digits raising questions on whether vaccines are being judiciously used or wasted.
A vaccine vial which contains 10 to 12 doses must be utilised within four hours or discarded.
Goa last month the Union ministry of health and family welfare rated Goa the highest, even above Kerala, for its efficient utilisation of vials and making use of leftover doses in vials. “The government has started so many more centres but this doesn’t make sense. It has to be coupled with measures to mobilise the population,” a private doctor said.
In Margao, seven centres vaccinated 268 people in the new categories of divyang, lactating mothers and parents of infants on Thursday.
Social worker and founder of human touch foundation Peter Borges said civil society groups, NGOs, influencers, social and religious leaders should have all been roped in to get the population vaccinated as fast as possible.
“They could have made an open call for vaccination. It was a model adopted for HIV testing where even religious leaders tested in public and encouraged others to do so. Influential leaders should be brought on board as ambassadors to spread the word that vaccination is not harmful,” he said.
In the past, polio vaccination too got a big fillip when civil society organisations like Rotary came on board, he said.
“Unfortunately, here it is largely driven by the government. If NGOs were engaged, they would take the vaccination programme forward. The government needs to change its strategy and be innovative.
Meanwhile, Manipal Hospital will open online slots for registration of Covaxine and Covishield vaccination first dose and Covaxine vaccination second dose for the 18-44-year age group on June 4 at 11am. The slots will be available from June 7 to June 12.
