KOCHI: Software glitches in the registration process for Covid vaccination have resulted in senior citizens turning up in large numbers for spot registration at hospitals. The situation has multiplied the woes manifold on both sides -- hospitals as well as the elderly are facing severe inconvenience. Health officials have urged the general public to attempt spot registration only as a last resort and instead register themselves on the CoWin online platform for vaccination.
In various parts of the state including Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Ernakulam, many senior citizens turned up at hospitals confused and had to wait in long queues to get vaccinated. “We had to wait almost three hours at the hospital after arriving around 7am.
After a long wait in the queue, they have registered our names and have asked us to come on Friday for vaccination,” said an elderly woman at the General Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram.
“Software issues are a real problem and we are trying to rectify them as early as possible,” said Mohammed Asheel, executive director, Kerala Social Security Mission (KSSM). “The software is fully controlled by the Central government and there are only limited things we can do here to resolve the glitches. At this juncture, we can only request senior citizens not to come directly to hospitals for spot admissions. Within three or four days, the glitches will be rectified and, hopefully, things will become smooth.”