The vaccination drive needs to be accelerated through private hospitals in India. The Government has given permission to inoculate citizens throughout the nights. However, this has not yet commenced. Many private hospitals are vaccinating during the days only.

The amount of money to be paid for a vaccination at a private hospital, at Rs.250, i.e., about Dhs12, or US $ 3.5, is very low. Perhaps the hospitals cannot cover their overheads in this small sum.

Since the registration for vaccination is online, paperwork should be dispensed with completely, at the vaccination centres. Now, about three documents, including two forms are involved in the vaccination drive. The forms should be crisp. For instance, there should be no need to write one’s religion on the form. Every citizen has to get vaccinated ideally, irrespective of religion, caste or creed.

Vaccination centres should benchmark themselves to a “60-minute vaccination” norm. From the time a person enters a vaccination centre, till he exists, should just be 60 minutes or less. Currently, citizens are taking two to four hours to get vaccinated. Centres should consider a single window operation for registration, payments and other formalities, except the actual inoculation.

The real challenge for large countries like India, Brazil, Nigeria will be when they start vaccinating people in the below 60-years age category. The governments should make arrangement, right now, to harness more health workers, to vaccinate in health centres, universities, gymnasiums, schools, etc., on a 24-hour basis.

Rajendra Aneja
Mumbai, India