AMID VACCINE SHORTAGES, GUJARAT CM DIRECTS THE AUTHORITIES TO INCREASE THE PACE OF INOCULATION

The vaccination campaign in the state has abruptly slowed down and many centers have had to halt due to insufficient quantity of the jabs. People are pushing back. Vaccination figures have also dropped sharply. On the other hand, at the Collector-DDO conference convened in Gandhinagar, Chief Minister Gujarat Vijay Rupani instructed the Collector and DDO for ensuring maximum vaccination to evade the havoc of the third wave of the pandemic.

There was a rumbling among the officials who were instructed to increase the pace of the vaccination even though it was not decided when the state would have enough stock of vaccines.

Rupani was addressing a conference of collectors-DDOs. In addition to the Land Grabbing Act, recently enacted by the state government as part of maintaining law and order, the district collectors were also instructed to implement the Love Jihad Act, which was introduced to curb forced religious conversions. Collectors were further asked to increase field visits and expand the operation of public service centers.

Rupani said the collector-DDOs should adopt a procedure that gives confidence to the people that the government or the officials are not thick-skinned, and that they are aware of the issues of the people.

The health authorities clarified that at present an average of four lakh doses come daily from the central government, but a large number of people come to many centers to get vaccinated rather than pursuing online registration for vaccination first. That could be the reason why vaccine doses are missing or falling short.