AMC records statement of 10 personnel at DKMM college vaccination centre

Aurangabad, Aug 30:

The inquiry committee appointed by the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has recorded statements of 10 health personnel, deployed at DKMM College vaccination centre today. The sensation had prevailed after an irregularity of distributing vaccine certificates to 16 persons without vaccinating them came to light on Saturday.

It is learnt that 55 persons took vaccine by obtaining token on Saturday. However, there was the registration of 71 persons on the centre's server at 1 pm. This surprised the computer operator. He immediately alerted his seniors about the sudden increase of 16 persons. The AMC immediately stopped vaccination at the above centre for temporary period. Taking cognizance of it, the municipal officer of health (MoH) Dr Paras Mandlecha constituted a three-member committee including Dr Megha Jogdand, Dr Manisha Bhondwe and technical personnel Hemant Rathod. The MoH also visited the above centre and obtained details from the employees present on duty.

The committee recorded the statements but had not reached upon the names of persons involved in irregularity. The complaint has been lodged with the Begumpura police station. The police will seek the help of Cyber Cell in cracking the case.

According to cyber expert Shreyas Modi, " The vaccination was being administered after on-the-spot registration on Cowin App at the above centre. I feel the username and password would have been hacked during the registration process. It is easy to hack when there is virus in the App. It also seems that the hackers has targetted one centre only rather than hacking the website."

Earlier, the AMC had come across similar complaints of irregularities at Jinsi and Aref Colony vaccination centres, but the inquiries are yet to be started. It may be noted that the rush of vaccination is mostly by the employees of the government offices and the private companies as their establishments had made it mandatory upon them to get vaccinated before joining the duties.