People return without vaccine shot from DNCC centres for delayed start
A number of people returned home without being vaccinated from some centres of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) today morning after knowing that the inoculation programme there would start at 2.30 pm.
Many alleged that they had to return without vaccines from centres as there was no prior announcement regarding the time of vaccination in these centres.
"We heard in the news that the vaccination will start at 9 am. Now we're being told from the centres that the vaccination will start at 2:30 pm," said one of the vaccine seekers at Provati High School centre under DNCC.
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However, according to DNCC sources, each of the 54 vaccination centres at 54 wards under the city corporation area will provide 1,000 vaccine doses in two days (28-29 September) starting from 2.30 pm.
Some 20-25 people were waiting for the vaccine at Provati High School centre at 9.30 am today.
Iddis Alam, who is yet to receive the confirmation message after registering on the Surokkha app on 6 August, told The Business Standard, "No one at the centre knows when the vaccine will be administered although I heard it will begin at 9.00 am."
Another vaccine seeker, Nurul Islam, expressed annoyance over this delay and asked, "How will working people like us who has to go to work by 10.00 am will get the vaccine?"
Meanwhile, Nahid Chowdhury, a teacher at Provati High School, said "Educational activities in the school are underway as we were not given any instruction in this regard."
At Ward 35 Nayatola Councillor Office, 10-15 people were seen waiting in front of the vaccine centre.
One of the vaccine seekers, Md Selim, said his wife had come for the vaccine in the morning but was sent back.
"Many came and left. I registered for the vaccine two months ago. I have not received a message yet to get vaccinated," he added.
The special vaccination campaign aiming to inoculate 75 lakh people against Covid-19 on the occasion of the 75th birthday of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina kicked off at 9.00 am Tuesday.
In a briefing on the vaccination program on Monday afternoon, the Director-General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Professor ABM Khurshid Alam said that the campaign will start at 9.00 am.
"Vaccination will continue unabated until we reach our goal. Our team will stay for one hour at the centres after the last person is vaccinated. However, authorities will be able to change and expand the vaccination time locally," he added.
Earlier on 26 September, Health Minister Zahid Maleque announced the special vaccination campaign at a virtual press conference organised by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
He said the campaign will continue until the target is achieved.
According to Zahid Maleque, approximately 6,000 vaccination centres across the country will administer the doses, the majority of which will be of Sinopharm.
