Bhubaneswar: The first day of the third phase vaccination which began here, Monday, drew bouquets and brickbats from the denizens of the Capital city as a section of people were dissatisfied with the arrangements at the vaccination centres.
The third phase vaccination drive aims at inoculating people in the age group of 18-44 years. The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) which has set a target to vaccinate as many as 5 lakh people saw drives being carried out in about 30 sites. More than 11,000 had registered through CoWIN app with the civic body procuring about 1.5 lakh vials for the initial phase.
“Very excited to take my first vaccine, I have not stepped out of home for about a month and this is the only time I have come out. Allowing students like us to take the jab will definitely lessen worries of our family’s apart from preventing further spread of infection. We are following all guidelines of the government,” said Priyadrashni Sahoo, a resident at Satya Nagar.
Meanwhile, some others complained about lack of proper arrangements at the vaccination centres and proper dissemination of information. “Initially, I struggled to book a slot for myself in the CoWIN app as the OTP didn’t come. After that I had to wait in a long queue under the scorching sun. When my turn came, they asked for a copy of my ID proof which was not mentioned anywhere,” lamented Suvendu Mohanty, a resident of Laxmisagar.
Moreover, many complained of vaccination centres running out of vials after long and impatient wait. It can be mentioned that the inoculation programme, which started from 8am continued till 1pm for the 18-44 age group while the beneficiaries above 45 got the jab between 3pm and 6pm at the same sites. All the beneficiaries from this group will be given the second dose by the end of June or first of July – after a gap of 45 days.
PNN