COVID-19 vaccination
*Directed to get all FLWs vaccinated by Feb 20
Govind Sharma
JAMMU, Feb 10: Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has taken strong note of the meager 23.2% coverage of health care workers and frontline workers (FLWs) in COVID-19 vaccination and directed the J&K Government to get all healthcare workers (HCWs) of the UT vaccinated by February 20.
Official sources told Excelsior that on an average 32 beneficiaries have been vaccinated per session in J&K which is significantly less than the target fixed in the operational guidelines for COVID-19 vaccination i.e. 100 beneficiaries per session.
Sources said that the turning up of less number of beneficiaries for each vaccination session has affected the pace of coverage badly in the UT which is evident from the present coverage of beneficiaries i.e. 23.2 percent only against the target of healthcare workers.
Taking serious note of the low coverage of the healthcare workers in the Union Territory of J&K, sources said, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has directed the J&K Government to vaccinate all healthcare workers of the UT by February 20.
Sources disclosed that after being snubbed by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for unexpected low coverage of healthcare and frontline workers of the UT in COVID-19 vaccination, the Director General (Planning), Health & Medical Education Department, J&K, recently wrote to Director SKIMS Soura, Principal GMC Jammu/Srinagar, Director General Family Welfare, MCH & Immunization J&K and Director Health Services, Jammu/Kashmir to schedule vaccination of all healthcare workers at least once by February 20.
In his written communiqué to heads of the health institutions/departments, the DG (Planning) directed them to inform all remaining healthcare workers to get vaccinated by the scheduled date of completion of vaccination i.e. February 20, as directed by the Union Ministry of Health Family Welfare.
“Mop up round of healthcare workers, left out even after the scheduled date of February 20 should be completed latest by February 25,” he further said, adding, the schedule and dates for covering all front line workers at once along with their mop up rounds should be planned immediately for ensuring 100 % coverage by March 6, 2021.
Accordingly, Principal, GMC and Associated Hospitals (GMC&AHs), Jammu, Dr Shashi Sudhan Sharma vide its communication number GMC/21/Covid-19/2742 dated 09-02-2021 directed Medical Superintendents of GMC & AHs to ensure vaccination of staff working under their control or give in writing that they are refusing the vaccination at their own risk and responsibility.
Sources alleged that many doctors, faculty members, paramedical staff and other frontline workers are reluctant to get them vaccinated and despite several reminders they are not turning up for vaccination on one pretext or other.
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