• 18-plus population has to wait for free jab
• Online registration must for 45 years plus beneficiaries for first dose in both urban and rural areas
• Govt. to withdraw vaccine remaining with Private Hospitals by this evening
Mysore/Mysuru: Owing to shortage of COVID-19 vaccine, the State Government is learnt to have decided to stop supplying vaccines to Private Hospitals from tomorrow.
So, there will no be free vaccination at Private Hospital sites.
There will be no on-the-spot registration for even 45 years- plus beneficiaries from tomorrow and they must register online if they are taking first dose.
Besides, the vaccine stock remaining in those Private Hospitals will be withdrawn by this evening and will be used in the Government facilities.
Highly placed sources told SOM that this was decided in a video-conference with State Health Department officers this morning, before issuing guidelines on the new vaccination rule that will come into effect from May 1.
Mandatory online registration
Sources pointed out lot of changes in vaccination rules which included mandatory registration of beneficiaries above 45 years of age, no matter they reside in urban or rural areas. After registration, at the time of coming to vaccination sites, they must show the screen shot of online registration details plus photo identity card. However, this rule was not applicable for those whose second dose of vaccine was pending.
The sources pointed out that the Government was working out a separate mechanism for supplying of vaccine to Private Hospitals through different distribution network. But there will be no change in regard to cap on vaccine rate and registration of beneficiaries in CoWIN portal.
With no Government supply of vaccine to Private Hospitals, the existing Government sites to give the jab free of cost, will stop functioning from tomorrow. The vaccination will continue only in Government facilities including Taluk Hospitals, Urban Primary Health Centres and Primary Health Centres.
In Mysuru, free vaccination was going on for around a month in 30 Private Hospitals, and those will stop functioning from tomorrow. In fact, these Private Hospitals had joined hands with the Government to do free vaccination for the maximum coverage of population from the dreaded Coronavirus.
Leaving them at this juncture has given a feeling that the shortage of vaccine has forced the Government to take such a decision. It was said that new vaccines are expected to be available across the country from next week and the Government wants the hospitals to buy those vaccine without depending upon the Government for the supply.
No vaccine for 18-plus
The sources said the Government has indefinitely postponed vaccinating citizens above 18 years of age due to delay in vaccine manufacturing at two companies owing to demand for vaccines from all the States and Union Territories. The Government of Karnataka had promised free vaccination for 18-plus population from May 1 but that will not happen now. These beneficiaries can only register their names in CoWIN 2.0 web portal but date of vaccination, site and other details will not be furnished as of now.
New guidelines
Follow staggered method by giving time and date to beneficiaries to avoid crowding
ASHA, Anganwadi workers to work as volunteers at vaccination sites
On-the-spot beneficiaries will get vaccination only if one or two doses are left in vial
Beneficiaries of second dose must carry details of first dose without fail.
Carry Aadhaar card compulsorily even after registration of names online.
Vaccination for citizens above 45 years of age will continue till May 12 (6 am).
So far, we have not received any communication regarding stopping of supply of vaccine to Private Hospitals which were vaccinating people free of cost. We were considered as Government Hospitals and allowed to inoculate people. I am optimistic that the Government is going to sort out this issue as 30 big Private Hospitals are vaccinating people in Mysuru city. We will be allowed to continue vaccination once the supply chain is restored. — Dr. H.V. Santhrupth, Gopala Gowda Shanthaveri Memorial Hospital
Even in US, 30% of the people do not have persistent internet access and a large %ge of people cannot do things on the internet. In India (and even in Karnataka), a large majority of people are illiterate or barely literate and internet penetration is very low (only about 0.5% of Indians have twitter accounts according Twitter’s own reports).
So why on earth the govt is making the process so bloody complex and inaccessible to over 95% of the people?