A day after the Centre highlighted the loopholes in Punjab’s battle against the novel coronavirus, the latest study has pinned down that the State was lagging behind in the vaccination drive against the Covid-19.
As per the figures available, only 28.82 per cent of total registered healthcare workers, and 21.02 per cent of total registered frontline workers have completed the vaccination, both first and second dose.
The healthcare and frontline workers were the first one to be covered under the vaccination drive, that started on January 16, this year. And in these three months, the state government has failed to cover all its workers who were leading its fight against the deadly contagion for more than a year now.
Till April 12 (Monday), as many as 1,58,197 (1.58 lakh) healthcare workers have received their first dose of vaccine and only 72,042 have received their second dose. In comparison, 2,97,555 (2.97 lakh) frontline workers have received their first dose of vaccine while only 63,069 have received the second dosage.
As per the official figures, there are around 2.05 lakh healthcare workers, which means only 28.82 percent of healthcare workers have received the second dose of Covid-19 vaccination while 63.28 per cent have received the first dose in the past three months.
On the other hand, only 21.02 per cent of frontline workers have been vaccinated for second dosage against three lakh registered with the state government.
The revelation regarding low vaccination rate was reported by the latest study by the research wing of ratings agency, Crisil.
The development came days after Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had referred to the farmers’ anger against the Central Government’s three farm laws as a major reason behind the low vaccination rate in the State.
“People in Punjab are still not coming out in large numbers for vaccination due to the massive anger prevailing against the Government of India on the issue of farm laws.
This anger is impacting the vaccination drive,” Captain Amarinder had stated on Saturday during a video conference convened by Congress national president Sonia Gandhi to discuss the COVID-19 situation in the country.
However, the available numbers indicated that the State Government has failed to persuade its first wall of defense — the healthcare and frontline workers — to get themselves inoculated. In fact, the Government has planned to complete their vaccination by the end of March.
Despite several efforts to motivate them to come forward for the vaccination, the government has failed. So much so, the state Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu had virtually threatened them for not financially supporting any healthcare worker, who was not getting vaccinated, in case he or she tested positive.
“If any healthcare workers get infected at a later stage, they will have to bear the cost of their treatment and will not be allowed quarantine or isolation leave,” Sidhu had stated.
Among the healthcare workers are doctors, nurses, midwifes, paramedical staff, ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers and medical students, among others who are healthcare providers and workers, while the frontline workers include those who are engaged in surveillance and containment activities like personnel from the State and Central Police organisations, Armed forces, home guards, prison staff, municipal workers, revenue officials, among others.
A senior official of the Health Department, requesting anonymity, pointed at the indifference and hesitancy among the healthcare workers as the main reason behind the low rate of vaccination. “It’s been a year now.
They have been fighting against it from the forefront all this time and now many have started taking the virus as just another virus which they can fight on their own by taking required precautions… Moreover, there is a sense that vaccines were launched after not enough testing and could harm more than help,” added the official.
Talking about vaccination of those above 45 years, as many as 13,23,309 have received the first dose, while 29,317 have given the second dosage.
With the state government targeting to vaccinate two lakh persons in a day, the state on Monday vaccinated 87,954 with the first dose and 6,765 with the second dose, with the total vaccination on the day touching 94,719 figure.
Days after Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh raised an alarm regarding less stock of COVID-19 vaccine which may last another five days, the state has received a consignment of four lakh vaccines on April 11 (Sunday).
The Central Government has sent a consignment of four lakh doses of corona vaccination to the State which, the state government claimed, may last for another three days.