CUDDALORE/VILLUPURAM: A Primary Health Centre (PHC) at Pennadam in Cuddalore allegedly administered two doses of Covid-19 vaccine (Covishield) to a 50-year-old woman when she went to the PHC on Monday to take her first dose.
"The nurse on duty administered the first dose to my mother while talking to someone. Within a few minutes, she administered a second dose despite my mother's protest that she had just been given a dose. On learning this, I confronted the nurse, who denied having given two doses back-to-back to my mother. I then lodged a complaint with the PHC's medical officer. Some time later, health-department officials came to PHC and, after checking the dose stock, confirmed that two doses had indeed been given to my mother," said Ayyapan, son of S Lakshmi from Irula Street.
Subsequent to the confirmation, Lakshmi was admitted to the PHC for observation and discharged on Tuesday afternoon. "The health condition of Lakshmi is normal; a departmental inquiry is going on to decide on next course of action," said a senior official from the health department in Cuddalore. Lakshmi's family on Tuesday evening told TNIE that she was doing fine.
A similar incident took place on Sunday wherein a vaccination camp held on the campus of a government school near Tindivanam in Villupuram administered a third dose of Covid-19 vaccine to a 75-year-old woman from Vitlapuram. It is learnt that the woman, Kannamma, who had received her second dose a few days before, went to the camp expecting to get medical advice about her body aches post her second dose.
"My mother took her first dose in June and the second, last week. When she took the second dose, the camp organisers told us to give them our mobile phone number and Aadhaar number, promising that they would upload them to CoWin at a later date; we agreed. After the second dose, however, she started experiencing body aches. So, when she heard about the special vaccination camp on Sunday, she decided to go to it, expecting a consultation and medicine. At the camp, however, she was administered a third dose despite her informing them that she had already received two doses,"said Kannamma's son K Sivakumar.
"When I confronted the camp organisers, they apologised and suggested that I take her to a hospital. On the way, however, l saw a few doctors at a vaccination camp at Tindivanam municipality office and sought their help. They checked my mother and advised her to rest for two weeks and told us not to worry. In the past two days, a few revenue officials inquired about my mother's condition, but no health department official did so."
"Vaccination camps were organised by the health department, panchayats, and municipalities at different spots on Sunday. The camp in question was not organised by the health department; so, I am not aware of it," said Dr Jothi, Joint Director of Health Department (Villupuram and Kallakurichi).
Villupuram Collector D Mohan has promised an inquiry into the incident and to send medical experts to check on Kannama.