In a letter to the principal of SCB Medical Faculty, the municipal commissioner, chief district medical and public well being officer and district social welfare officers, amongst others, collector Bhabani Shankar Chayani requested them not to attract the wage/remuneration/stipend of healthcare staff for February if they don’t take the vaccine.
“As the share of vaccination in Cuttack district is without doubt one of the lowest within the state, it’s inflicting an awesome embarrassment,” he wrote within the letter which might set off controversy relating to the supposed high-handedness.
With a vaccination protection of 53.9%, Cuttack is on the backside amongst 30 districts in Odisha.
It’s far behind the state common of 69.6%. Cuttack has the very best registered healthcare staff, 29,624, of whom 15,965 have taken the vaccine up to now.
A health care provider preferring anonymity stated for the reason that vaccination drive is voluntary, forcing or coercing somebody to take it’s undesirable, although all ought to take it. “I’ve taken it. But when somebody is hesitant, she or he needs to be given the liberty to selected whether or not to take it or not,” the physician stated.
Whereas Chayani couldn’t be contacted as he didn’t reply to telephone calls, further chief secretary (well being) Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra stated the districts are attempting to enhance their protection by encouraging healthcare staff to take the vaccine earlier than the February 10 deadline. Mohapatra, nonetheless, refused to touch upon the Cuttack district administration’s diktat.
Goal to vaccinate 24,500 right now
In one other improvement, Mohapatra wrote to the district collectors and municipal commissioners urging them that on Saturday, when inoculation of frontline staff start as a part of Section II, the director basic of police, senior officers, district collectors and SPs ought to take the vaccine on the primary day itself to spice up confidence amongst those that should still be apprehensive in regards to the vaccine.
“They need to additionally tweet the identical with their picture to create consciousness and confidence amongst others in order that the vaccination programme would get the specified momentum,” wrote Mohapatra, who took the Covaxin shot on Friday.
The state has been planning to start out vaccination of frontline staff equivalent to police and municipal staff from Saturday whereas persevering with the pictures of healthcare staff. The state targets to vaccinate greater than 24,500 folks on Saturday. DGP Abhay, twin cities police commissioner Sudhanshu Sarangi, are amongst a number of officers scheduled to take the vaccine on the primary day.
