Citizens stand in a serpentine queue outside the Margao Urban Health centre early Saturday morning for Covid vaccination. Captured by : Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Crowds spilled onto the main road early Saturday morning outside the Margao Urban Health centre as hundreds of frontline workers, people from 18-44 age group and those 45 and above, all rushed to the health Centre to take the anti-Covid vaccination jab.
That’s not all. Around 60-odd persons also joined the queue to collect the home isolation kits, creating a congested environment, throwing all social distancing and other Covid safety norms to the winds. The security personnel had a tough time controlling the crowd, prompting the Fatorda police to dispatch a van and policemen to regulate the overwhelming turnout.
Health officials attributed the rush to the presence of front line workers, who came in large numbers for vaccination. Apart from the front line workers, citizens aged 45 and above also lined up in the queue for the anti-Covid vaccine jab.
Day one of the inoculation for people between the age group of 18-44 saw around 107 turning up to take the jab. Three persons, who had registered themselves for the vaccination, however, did not turn up.
Health officials, however, said that the inoculation of people aged between 18-44 was not the cause behind the rush as Health officer Dr Anju Kharangate has made separate place for this section of people for the vaccination, in fact, Dr Kharangate informed that this group of citizens have been allotted the first floor of the building housing the Health centre, adding that their presence did not in any way contribute to the rush.
Fortunately, the city did not witness any showers in the morning and afternoon session on account of the cyclone brewing over the Arabian sea.
Health Officials pointed out that while citizens have been standing under the scorching sun outside the centre since the vaccination began over two months ago, people will find it difficult to adjust themselves during the rains, fearing violation of social distancing norms in the absence of a pandal inside the complex.
“A pandal and chairs are urgently required to be provided to the Health centre, especially when the monsoon is round the corner. Unless a pandal and chairs are provided to the Health centre, crowds may try to enter the building throwing Covid safety norms to the winds”, informed an official, stressing on the need for a pandal outside the building.
