VISAKHAPATNAM: With Co-Win server down for almost eight hours on Saturday, beneficiaries, including senior citizens, had to wait for a long time to get their first and second shots of Covid-19 vaccine at several centres in the city. Apart from server problem, officials cited unavailability of vaccine as the reason for the long wait at vaccination centres. When the beneficiaries went to the Government TB and Chest Hospital, they were told by the staff to wait as the vaccine stock did not arrive.
“There were at least 20 people who registered themselves on the Co-Win website. We had to wait for over 5-6 hours to get vaccinated. Health staff kept telling us that the vaccine would come in an hour each time we asked them for the jab,” said P Saritha (53)The same happened at the Government ENT Hospital. By noon, there was no one at the vaccination centre as the staff stated that the server was not responding. At an Anganwadi centre in Chinna Waltair, people waited from 6 am to get vaccine.
“The staff kept telling there were server problem and invalid login issues. I came at 6:30 am. I waited till 1 pm and left the centre without getting vaccine jab,” said Krishna Murthy (49). Speaking to TNIE, District Immunisation Officer Dr Jeevan Rani said there was server problem at vaccination centres all over the State from 6 am. It was resolved around 2 pm.”
No shortage of vaccine as of now: Officials
In another case, K Srinivasa Rao took the first dose of Covid vaccine in Vijayawada a month ago. After moving to Vizag due to some personal reasons, he visited several government and private hospitals to get the second shot. “Many private hospitals told me that they ran out of vaccine stock.
At government hospitals, some staff told me that I have to go back to Vijayawada to get the second shot as they would not give it to me here,” Rao said. He finally got his second shot of vaccine at the Government TB and Chest Hospital on Saturday. “They asked me to come at 9 am. I got the jab at 2 pm,” he said.
The long wait at vaccination centres had made some people believe that there was shortage of vaccine. However, Dr Jeevan Rani stated that there is no shortage of vaccine. “Both Covaxin and Covishield are available. Those who registered but could not get the shot today, will be administered vaccine next week,” she assured.
Andhra Medical College principal P Sudhakar also stated that there is no shortage of Covid vaccine in the district. But the supply of vaccine stock has been reduced for a week due to high demand, he added.