Duplication, missing names of health workers on CoWIN add to concerns in Bihar

Duplication as well as names of many healthcare workers (HCWs) missing from the Covid-19 Vaccine Intelligence Network (Co-WIN) portal for vaccination against the Coronavirus disease, are among the latest issues flagged by vaccination centres to the health authorities in Bihar.

The Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH) claimed there was duplication in names of its HCWs generated through the portal on Thursday.

At the same time, the Nalanda Medical College Hospital (NMCH) claimed that names of 800 HCWs, working in the medical college under the principal’s establishment, was missing on the portal. However, the list of 1,400 HCWs on the hospital side was intact.

The Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Science (IGIMS), an autonomous institute, also claimed that the portal did not reflect names of around 1,400 HCWs.

The PMCH, NMCH and IGIMS together contribute nearly 9,000 healthcare workers in Patna.

As per the list generated through the CoWIN app, the PMCH had to vaccinate 163 HCWs on Thursday. However, it ended up vaccinating 97, and its hospital superintendent, Dr Bimal Karak, claimed 100% achievement in vaccination target for the day.

“There was duplication in the list of recipients, generated through the portal for Thursday. The list included names of some beneficiaries we had already vaccinated. As such, we achieved 100% target by vaccinating 97 beneficiaries at our hospital on Thursday. We have apprised the health authorities about it,” said Dr Karak.

On the other hand, NMCH principal, Dr Hiralal Mahto, said names of some HCWs in the medical college were missing from the portal.

“I was among the first few to send the list of healthcare workers under the medical college establishment to the Patna civil surgeon last December. The hospital list went later. However, my hospital superintendent informed me yesterday that the medical college list, which includes senior faculty members, was missing from the portal. I have apprised the civil surgeon about it,” said Dr Mahto.

“We have asked the NMCH to send us its list once again so that we can verify and re-load the names missing from the portal,” said Patna civil surgeon Dr Vibha Kumari Singh.

That beneficiary names are missing from the portal was detected after the government on Tuesday tweaked the CoWIN portal to allow on-the-spot administration of shots to those already enrolled for vaccination on the portal.

“We have checked. Beneficiary names have not gone missing, but for some reason have not been uploaded. We will upload the names missing from the portal so that no healthcare worker, willing to take the vaccine, is left out,” said executive director of the State Health Society, Bihar, Manoj Kumar, also the state nodal officer for the vaccination.

Bihar’s principal secretary, health, Pratyaya Amrit and Kumar took jabs of Covishield at the IGIMS on Friday, in an effort to boost vaccination footfall, which dropped from 62% on day one (January 16) to a cumulative percentage of 54.47% after four days of vaccination.

As many as 464,160 healthcare workers have enrolled for vaccination in the first phase in Bihar.