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I had booked the 9AM - 11 AM slot for my mother's second dose of vaccination on COWIN. She is 82. We reached the PHC in Amruthahalli, Bangalore at 8:30 AM. There was already a crowd standing. Some had registered online at COWIN while some had walked in.
The 2 haphazardly formed queues were separate. The crowd was largely composed of senior citizens. I stood in one such queue outside in the sun while my mother was waiting inside an auto that we had rented. There was no intimation of any sort from the officials inside.
The gate was locked. After waiting for nearly an hour, many people grew impatient. Nobody was allowed inside. People started crowding at the gate flouting all COVID protocols. The frontline functionaries -- who were inside -- came out to respond.
Some of them also appeared impatient and tired. As an official started responding to a query, multiple people, mostly 60+, started thronging him flashing their Aadhaar card with one hand and their phone in the other.
A 75 year old man, waiting with his Aadhaar card, pleaded with the official to let him in. The official was helpless. He said he couldn't do so as he had to follow procedures and also that there was a delay in getting supplies.
At some point, the gate was opened. Some people got tokens and many didn't. The queues formed outside had by now withered away and the rationale for giving tokens was unclear.They said 30 people among those who registered online would get tokens and 30 walk-ins would get tokens.
Some who had been in the queue since morning didn't get a token. It was about 10:45 now. At this point, I was just one of two people waiting outside in the so-called queue that had ceased to exist.
I went in and, adding to the impatience of many others, I asked in an exasperated tone to a lone official who was now responding to all those who were waiting.We had a bit of an angry exchange when I told him
if I should take a video of what’s going on and send it to others including the ministries? He said, “Speak to me softly. Take videos if you want to.” I realised soon that it wasn’t his fault so I didn’t.
I told him that the chaos could have been averted if there was transparency of communication as to what was happening and what was the cause for delay. I lost my cool a bit when I said who is accountable for all this chaos? He was well meaning but was clearly helpless.
He said "The central government created COWIN and people are registering. But they don't know how many people show up at our centre each day and how many supplies we will get. And everyday, we have to manage so many angry people. It is frustrating."
At this point, a frail 70-75 year old man, perhaps a retired government official belonging to the great Indian middle class, almost started prostrating to the official to let him get vaccinated.
The official pleaded in return and said that his duty was elsewhere and yet he had to come here to manage crowds. He said that there are 7 COVID positive patients in his team. However, none of this allayed the irritation of those waiting.
At around 11 AM or so, this same official gave me a token.Our turn came at 11:30 AM. I was told that in a day, at this centre, around 150 people get vaccinated.
On the one hand, I felt bad for the frontline workers, who despite working tirelessly are constantly facing the ire of the public. On the other hand, there is nobody held accountable for COWIN registrations, the vaccine supply and for those who walk in each day
and return because they didn’t get a token. It isn't clear whom to approach. Who would the people go to? Perhaps things get better as the day http://progresses.In the end, I also wondered if my got a token because of the angry exchange I had?
Because I belonged to the English speaking elite? I would never know who got tokens and who didn’t and the reasons for the same. It’s also sad that so many well meaning public servants,both frontline workers and senior officials, are paying the price for the mess created by BJP.
At this rate, however, I shudder to think how the deployment of vaccines would happen after it’s opened up for those under 45. It's terrible to see so many senior citizens listlessly standing outside.
Add poor to this equation and you get a headier mix of hardship that they have to go through.Finally, a big thanks to all the frontline workers, doctors, and civil servant officials who are working tirelessly behind the scenes many of whom I've had the fortune to interact with
