Vaccination of polling officers to be an uphill job
3 min read Express News Service
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With meeting elections close to, one other uphill job awaits well being authorities who’re already burdened with the mission to enhance the protection of vaccination amongst healthcare staff and 1000’s of frontline staff within the state. Officials mentioned the well being authorities have been requested to finish Covid-19 vaccination for round two lakh officers who can be on ballot obligation in the course of the meeting elections.
The State Election Commission has requested well being authorities to finish vaccination for ballot officers by March 31. The state authorities have requested the Centre to allot extra vaccines for the aim. However, apprehensions loom giant amongst district well being authorities as they’re already fighting vaccination of frontline staff. The plan is to open extra session websites to cowl ballot officers who can be registered for vaccination.
The Election Commission has directed respective district collectors to submit an inventory of officers who can be concerned within the election course of from their district for vaccination.The DMOs have began coming into the information of the officers for vaccination. Recently, the Centre had issued an order directing well being authorities to prioritise ballot officers as frontline staff. An official mentioned there are round 68,000 ballot officers in Thiruvananthapuram district alone.
“It took almost one month for us to cowl 65,000 well being staff and now we have to finish the primary dose of the vaccination for ballot officers inside 10 days in order that they are often given the second dose after 28 days. We have been requested to finish the vaccination by March 31.
We are already fighting restricted sources. We have began knowledge entry of ballot officers for vaccination. It’s an enormous burden as now we have very restricted sources. Correcting errors is one other job now we have to take care of. We don’t know whether or not we might have the ability to full the information entry of all ballot officers earlier than the deadline,” mentioned an official concerned within the vaccination drive within the capital.
An official of the Chief Electoral Office (CEO) advised TNIE that each official who can be a part of meeting election can be within the precedence listing of the vaccination drives.“The district collectors can be handing over the listing to the district medical workplace. We had given strict instructions to well being authorities to complete the information entry of ballot officers by February 21.
The Centre can be giving extra vaccines to cowl the ballot officers,” the official mentioned. An official of the Thiruvananthapuram District Medical Office (DMO) mentioned that the state capital has probably the most variety of election officers.“The state election officials are also stationed here. Police camps are here. We will have to start more session sites. We have already covered a small section of the poll officials who are already in the front line workers list,” mentioned an official.
Drive to start right nowThe Covid-19 vaccination for polling officers for the state meeting elections will start on Tuesday. Chief Electoral Officer Teeka Ram Meena would be the first ballot official to be vaccinated at a operate to be held on the Election Office at 10.45am. Then, the workplace employees will then be vaccinated.
68,000 ballot officers in T’Puram district alone
