TIRUPPUR: The district administration has launched Covid vaccination drives in government schools on Monday. However, sources said that migrant workers were allegedly refused inoculation as officials distributed tokens for only those with voter ID.
Santhosh (24), a migrant worker, said, "I received information about the vaccination drive being held in the government school from a friend. I stood in line for more than three hours, but, in the end, the officials asked for my Voter ID. They said that only those with Voter ID will be allowed to get vaccinated. I cannot go to my native to get my ID because of lack of transportation."
It is not just Santhosh, but several migrant workers were refused to be vaccinated by the health officials throughout the district.
Speaking to TNIE, Tiruppur Exporters Association (TEA) Treasurer P Mohan said, "While many big companies have already initiated Covid vaccination through private hospitals, small garment units cannot spend such huge amounts. 80 per cent of the garment units in Tiruppur are small units with 50 to 100 people. The cost of private Covid vaccines adds more financial pressure for these units. The district administration’s decision to demand voter's ID will be a problem for the migrant workers from other districts and states in the country."
According to an official from the district administration, "The decision to use voter ID for getting vaccination was decided after several migrant workers queued before the Primary Health Centre (PHC) taking the majority of the doses allocated to the centre. Due to this, residents sought the intervention of district administration and asked the officials to inoculate residents under priority. Furthermore, this process will avoid needless travelling of residents from one PHC to another.”
Explaining the token system, the official said, “The token distribution is taken over by the revenue department. After a voting booth in the zone is chosen, the Village Administration officer (VAO) and his team will offer a token to the voters from the locality. Based on the token, voters (residents) will be allowed to visit the voting booth (government schools) for vaccination.”
Later, special vaccination camps for garment workers will be organised, the official added.