We are now at least in Goa witnessing a rank breach of protocol in the Covid-19 vaccination which is now underway. Despite the government directives that only healthcare workers are entitled to vaccination in this first round, many influential family and friends of those running private hospitals have illegally managed to sneak in despite not being healthcare workers. They have taken undue advantage as there is no proper mechanism in place to identify and weed out the non-healthcare workers from the list of applicants. All this does not augur well for a system that had to be just and fair, free from any favoritism. It is so unfortunate that prominent people have the audacity to circumvent the set procedures even during a pandemic. It has been rightly said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Government guidelines are meant to be strictly adhered to and the onus is on the officials to crack the whip on the violators without fear or favour. This destructive virus does not discriminate between people of wealth and status and the common man. It infects anyone and everyone especially the vulnerable and those exposed to the virus. It is for this reason only that the priority groups established by experts must be vaccinated first and in that order.
With Chief Minister Pramod Sawant publicly stating that he has not yet decided whether he will be taking the vaccine or not, it is no moral booster to especially the uninformed public. In fact, the recent session of the Goa Legislative Assembly was an ideal occasion for all the 40 lawmakers to be vaccinated with Government special approval. It would have bolstered the public’s now wavering trust in that vaccine.
It is lamentable that integrity is the loser even at a time of national crisis, as cronyism and queue jumping because of status can take precedence over what is sensible and beneficial for the common good. Integrity is the essence of everything successful.
