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GMCH fares worst in vaccine coverage in Chandigarh
Amid general hesitancy among health workers in Chandigarh to take the Covid-19 vaccine shot, employees of the health department have been most forthcoming while those of Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, have shown least participation, official data shows
Amid general hesitancy among health workers in Chandigarh to take the Covid-19 vaccine shot, employees of the health department have been most forthcoming while those of Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, have shown least participation, official data shows.
In Chandigarh, around 19,000 health workers are to be inoculated. They include those employed by the heath department at Government Multi Specialty Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, three sub-district hospitals and around 50 dispensaries besides employees of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, and Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER).
The vaccine coverage of the health department stands at 31.3%, followed by 30.8% at the PGIMER and just 18.5% at GMCH. The overall coverage has been around 28%, the data presented on Monday at the state-level task force for vaccination has revealed.
Taking this into account, the UT authorities have decided to also create sessions for frontline workers at GMCH, so that more people can be inoculated within the available resources. Also, with the central government setting the deadline of February 20 for administering the first dose to health workers, the administration has directed its officials to give the workers at least two chances to take the shot.
Dr Jasbinder Kaur, director-cum-principal, GMCH, said all efforts are being made to create a favourable environment for a better turnout at our sites. “The numbers are less than we expected. Every health worker is being informed that the vaccine is important for their protection,” she said.
Meanwhile, a senior health official, who did not wish to be named, said that seeing the present turnout, coverage cannot go past 40% by February 20, even though there might be a jump in the last week as the deadline approaches.
