Citizens disregard discipline, civility at Covid-19 vaccination centre in Lahore

LAHORE: A complete disregard for discipline and civility was witnessed at the coronavirus vaccination centre in Lahore, where people engaged in foul arguments and tried to secure out-of-turn vaccination on Sunday.

Shaukat Khadim, a citizen who went to Expo Centre for getting vaccinated, told Pakistan Today that he found the arrangements to be unsatisfactory. He said that he visited the centre twice but had to return home both times without getting vaccination. He added that the administration is unable to control the crowd that queues outside the centre.

“There is a risk of coronavirus being spread, therefore, the health minister should improve the arrangements instead of making statements,” he further said.

Similarly, another visitor observed the sad state of affairs and tweeted, “While Lahore Expo vaccination centre was well organised on the previous two days, today [Sunday] is utter chaos. People are trying to get in out of turn and no one from the administration is here to control things. Arguments and fights all around. Very disappointed.”

“There was a lot of crowding at the gate to the vaccination hall. People were pushing and trying to get in, which defeats the point of Covid protocols,” he added.

Mohammad Hussain also complained about the same. He said that when he went to Expo Centre for his parents’ vaccination, he returned home after seeing the crowd and the blatant violation of coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs).

“There are no arrangements to control the crowd at Expo Centre,” he said, adding that he took his parents for vaccination because the third wave of coronavirus is more dangerous than the previous two waves.

“People were not allowed to go in, and social distancing and face masks were not being ensured,” the citizen said. “If the city’s population and the current situation is taken into account, people will not be vaccinated for the next five years.”

He urged the government to increase the number of vaccination centres to avoid overcrowding and to seek NADRA’s help to vaccinate elderly citizens at their homes to protect them from the contagious virus.

On the other hand, the spokesperson of the health department said that Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid and Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan visited the Expo vaccination centre. He added that Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department (P&SHD) Secretary Captain (r) Muhammad Usman Younis, Lahore Deputy Commissioner Mudassir Riaz, Additional Secretary Technical Dr Asim Altaf, Deputy Secretary Rafia Haider and others were also present on the occasion.

The spokesperson said that eminent lawyer, Aitzaz Ahsan, and other 60-year-olds had expressed satisfaction over “excellent” arrangements at the vaccination centre. Dr Faisal got his father vaccinated at Expo vaccination centre, he added.

The provincial health minister spoke positively about the government’s arrangements and said that a lot of people over the age of 60 were getting vaccinated at the said vaccination centre.

She said that the officers and staff of all departments performing their duties in the centre deserve appreciation. “In the last three days, more than 18,000 people over the age of 60 have been vaccinated against coronavirus in Punjab. The capacity of all government hospitals in the province has also been increased,” she said, adding that the Pakistani nation must unite to defeat the pandemic.

“The best vaccine is being given to the people,” she further said.

The provincial government had started vaccination for elderly citizens on Wednesday. For this purpose, vaccination centres have been set up in 104 locations in all districts of the province. The healthcare department has set up 20 vaccination points at the Expo Centre.
It is worth mentioning here that in the first phase of the vaccination drive, doctors and frontline healthcare workers were vaccinated.