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Pvt doctors reluctant to sign up for Covid vaccination drive due to unanswered queries
These numbers are as of December 5, and despite the administration’s repeated attempts to increase registration by extending deadlines, confusion about where to register and lack of clarity on the vaccination itself, has doctors hesitant to register
Of the 5,000 private health facilities registered with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), at least 1,720 have not submitted names of staff for the Covid-19 vaccination.
These numbers are as of December 5, and despite the administration’s repeated attempts to increase registration by extending deadlines, confusion about where to register and lack of clarity on the vaccination itself, has doctors hesitant to register.
By mid-October, the central government directed all states to collect a database of all staff working in various hospitals - both private and public.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) Maharashtra chapter had raised several questions after the state government changed point number 8b of the government’s directive; the words “registered with the district” were introduced in parenthesis, while enumerating private medical facilities.
This had led to confusion among private practitioners.
In following meetings, the state government later confirmed that all private hospitals can register for the priority vaccination drive.
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi declaring that the country would soon have a vaccine in the coming weeks, 25% of private health facilities and their staff are yet to register.
The earlier deadline for the same was the end of November, which has since been extended several times till now.
Dr Sanjay Patil, chairman, Hospitals’ Board, IMA Pune, said, “Earlier there was confusion about where to register. We were asked to register on three platforms - one on the PMC’s centralised portal; second on the Maharashtra Medical Council portal; and thirdly at the local PMC ward-level. This is the clerical part. The medical apprehensions are that we do not know which vaccine will be approved. The safety and efficacy of a particular vaccine will only come out once the vaccine is approved and the results are out in public domain. Doctors are mainly concerned about how the vaccine would be administered, who will administer it, and who will give the dose and where it would be made available.”
He added, “There are also reservations about safety and efficacy of the vaccine. There are debates and discussions among the medical fraternity about the vaccine for which a few doctors have decided that they will register for the second drive. The other issue is, whether a vaccinated person will have flu-like symptoms after being vaccinated? Or, that I may get a complication phase, or inflammatory phase, which kicks in on day 8. The third and most common concern is what of transmissibility post vaccination? So If a doctor does get infected and continues to remain a possible transmissitter and an asymptomatic carrier, then it will prove to be dangerous for his/her family?”
With most vaccine candidates having carried out phase two and trials on the above-18 and healthy volunteers who do not have any comorbidities, seniors doctors who are most likely to have multiple comorbidities and the age factor itself, are also reluctant to get registered for vaccination.
Dr Patil added, “The hesitancy among doctors might send out a wrong message to the general population on whether to be vaccinated or not. So we are sensitising our members to get themselves registered and most major hospitals have already sent out their details. These pending applications might be from smaller clinics or hospitals.”
Dr Ashish Bharti, chief health officer, PMC, said, “Despite repeated attempts private hospitals are not registering themselves and only those registered would be applicable for the priority vaccination drive.”
