Poor management in vaccine supply pushing citizens to face inconvenience

Aurangabad, July 23:

It is alleged that the absence of planning about the supply of vaccines, by the office of the deputy director (health), is pushing the citizens to face inconvenience, for the past many days. It is underlined that the vaccine is supplied to the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) during midnight hours (between 2.30 am and 3.00 am) and the details about the supply are not shared in advance. This system is pushing the AMC into trouble as it is falling short of time to make adequate arrangements to administer vaccines (first and second doses) to the citizens, very next day. Hence, the citizens are indirectly forced to face inconvenience.

It is learnt that the AMC's health section was unaware about the stock of vaccines it will be receiving till Wednesday night. However, during the midnight hours, the AMC was told that it will be getting 7,000 doses of vaccine. In a short period of time, the AMC selected five centres to give the first dose and 34 centres to administer the second dose on the next day morning. Meanwhile, the AMC officials also alerted the citizens to register their names on Cowin App between 9 am and 10 am if they are seeking to take the first dose. Hence, the citizens, who came to know about the availability of vaccines on Thursday, succeeded in getting the vaccines, but others remained unaware about the availability and could not take the vaccine. The same situation emerged on Friday. On Thursday till 8 pm, the AMC was told that the van has left to Pune to bring the vaccine and it will get by midnight. The practice of supplying vaccines during midnight hours is going on for the past many days.

It may be noted that around one lakh citizens are waiting to get their second doses, but due to insufficient supply of vaccines, the AMC is helpless as it is getting less quantity of vaccines which is further pushing the citizens to face the inconvenience.