Deputy Collector and SDM, Dharbandora, Kedar Naik taking a jab of the Covid vaccine at the South district Hospital on Monday. Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Covid vaccination drive for the frontline workers went for a huge toss in Margao on Monday, within only 35 workers taking a jab out of the 200 workers enlisted for the exercise.
While health workers manning the two centres -- TB hospital and South Goa district hospital -- appeared dejected over the dismal show, Collectorate officials only hoped for the best in the coming days, promising to find out the reasons behind the poor turnout of the frontline workers at the centres to take the jab. Questions are being raised in health and other circles why the frontline workers did not keep the date and whether the situation had anything to do with the communication gap.
At the end of day one of vaccination for the frontline workers, only 35 workers, including senior administration officials turned up for the exercise. At the South Goa district hospital, only 27 frontline workers, 11 in the morning session and 16 in the evening turned up for the vaccine.
The situation was pretty bad at the TB hospital, atop Monte Hill, manned by a team of Hospicio doctors and staff. Out of the 100 frontline workers expected for the vaccine, only eight turned up, leaving the health officials dejected. A health official pointed out that health teams mobilized for the vaccination exercise at the TB hospital and South Goa district hospital were not utilized to their full potential.
“We only hope the administration will find out the reasons behind the poor turn out and fix the issues”, remarked a senior health official.
Sub-divisional Magistrate, Margao Jyoti Kumari, IAS declined to offer any comment on the dismal turn out of the frontline workers, while hoping for a turnaround in the coming days.
However, what may come as a silver lining to the exercise is that a host of senior administration and police officers took a jab of the vaccine on day of the exercise in Margao.
The officials, who decided to lead from the front by taking a shot of the vaccine, were Prasanna Acharya, Additional Collector, South Goa and Administrator of Margao Municipal Council; Jyoti Kumari, IAS, Deputy Collector and SDO-I Salcete; Kedar Naik, Deputy Collector and SDM, Dharbandora; Pratap Punde, Commandant CISF; Kunwar Bahadur, Deputy commandant, CISF; Dharmesh Govind Pai Angle, DYSP Konkan railways and Deona Perera Jt Mamlatdar, Salcete.
Given the poor turnout, senior administration officials were scheduled to go in a huddle on Monday evening to take a review of the situation and fix the issues.
Incidentally, compared to the frontline workers, the turnout of the health workers, especially from Hospicio, for the vaccination, was termed as excellent, with day one of the exercise last month, witnessing a turnout of around 80-odd health workers. So far, around 620 health workers from Hospicio are believed to have taken a jab of the vaccine, sources added.
