India News | Delhi Govt to Take Measures to Raise Percentage of Health Workers Turning Up for COVID Vaccine Drive

New Delhi, Jan 17 (PTI) The Delhi government will take measures like counselling and formal phone calls in the coming days to raise the percentage of healthcare workers turning up for being administered COVID-19 vaccines, official said.

Under the nationwide mega vaccination drive launched on Saturday, a total of 4,319 (53 per cent) health workers against a target of 8,117 were administered the vaccines at 81 centres across the city.

"We will hold counselling sessions to create awareness so that apprehensions of the health workers could be allayed. They will also be called on phones to seek their confirmation and also to encourage them to come forward for taking the vaccines," a senior Delhi government official said.

It is necessary to boost confidence of the health workers towards vaccination because its a voluntary exercise. Still, if some health workers do not come forward for it, they may be included in the next sessions on the coming days as per a roster, he said.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Sunday told reporters that some people did not turn up for COVID-19 vaccination at the last moment but the government cannot ask anyone to compulsorily take the jabs.

In the first phase of coronavirus vaccination drive, health workers and frontline workers have been kept in priority group by the Centre and are being administered free vaccines.

Jain also said that the number of vaccination centres in Delhi will be increased from 81 to 175 soon. 

"Some people decided not to turn up at the last moment. The vaccination programme is completely voluntary. We cannot ask anyone to compulsorily take the shot even if the person has registered for it," he said.

However, officials said that the first phase has to be completed with frontline workers and then persons above 50 years of age and those having co-morbidites have to be vaccinated.

"So, we have to aware the health workers to complete their vaccination in given time," they said.

Delhi has about 3 lakh healthcare workers, 6 lakh frontline workers, and about 42 lakh people who are aged above 50 years or have co-morbidities, that have to be administered the vaccine in the first phase, officials said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)