TUESDAY, MAY 07, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: While people were seen queuing up for hours to get a token and an anti-COVID vaccine jab later, the friends and family members of city councillors as well the volunteers enjoyed VIP preference at the Panjim vaccination center.
HERALD senior reporters, who had visited the center to get their vaccine shot, were witness to this VIP culture that led to initial chaos and confusion at the registration points.
While it was presumed that the councillors, including a co-opt member were there to help out the citizens to ensure smooth functioning of vaccination drive, they were nowhere to be seen, once their members were vaccinated.
On one side, the family members of the councillors, were not even given the token still they were the first to get the jab. Friends and family members of the volunteers there made sure that their loved once get preference in the token. Despite coming much late, they were among the first to get the token for vaccine.
Directorate of Health Services (DHS) director Dr Jose D'Sa said that he will look into the matter.
The beneficiaries present at the center, pointed out to HERALD that this culture existed even when the vaccination drive was carried out at Panjim Health Center. They said that councilors take advance token for their loved once or voters, while the people standing in queue are made to wait.
The Panjim vaccination center was recently, on May 10, shifted to Don Bosco school premise to avoid crowding at the health center, where large number of people with symptoms comes to get their COVID testing.
In order to ensure seamless process, separate arrangements are made for those above 45 years and for frontline workers in the age group of 18-45 years.
