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Hubballi: People younger than 60 years of age who are not health or frontline workers but are eligible for the booster dose are finding it hard to get it in the district.
Many people who are not senior citizens have received alerts from the health department to get the booster dose. The message directs eligible persons to get the dose in private hospitals. However, no private hospital seems to be giving this paid service to the public. Government hospitals are giving precaution doses only to health and frontline workers and those above 60 years of age and are refusing it to others.
Basavaraj and Subhas got alerts to get booster doses. “We went to the HDMC hospital and civil hospitals to get this dose, but they refused to administer it and asked us to go to private hospitals. But many private hospitals in Hubballi and Dharwad have not made any arrangement to administer booster doses. It has left many of us confused,” they said.
District reproductive and child health officer and nodal officer Dr S M Honakeri said: “I have received many calls from people to know why there is no precaution dose available for all people in government hospitals. As per the government’s instruction, we are administering the precaution dose only to health, frontline workers… and those who are above 60 years of age. Others, who do not fall under this category, will have to get the dose at a private hospital by paying the price fixed by the government.”
He added that many had not gotten the dose since it was not available in private hospitals. “We are forwarding this feedback to the government. We have so far administered precaution doses to 30% to 35% of eligible persons,” Honakeri added.
Dharwad deputy commissioner Nitesh Patil repeated what Honakeri said. “As many people are not approaching private hospitals to get the precaution dose, many hospitals have not come forward to buy the vaccine to give precaution doses,” he said.
He said there was some confusion regarding availability. Arrangements at private hospitals would be made, Patil added.
Many people who are not senior citizens have received alerts from the health department to get the booster dose. The message directs eligible persons to get the dose in private hospitals. However, no private hospital seems to be giving this paid service to the public. Government hospitals are giving precaution doses only to health and frontline workers and those above 60 years of age and are refusing it to others.
Basavaraj and Subhas got alerts to get booster doses. “We went to the HDMC hospital and civil hospitals to get this dose, but they refused to administer it and asked us to go to private hospitals. But many private hospitals in Hubballi and Dharwad have not made any arrangement to administer booster doses. It has left many of us confused,” they said.
District reproductive and child health officer and nodal officer Dr S M Honakeri said: “I have received many calls from people to know why there is no precaution dose available for all people in government hospitals. As per the government’s instruction, we are administering the precaution dose only to health, frontline workers… and those who are above 60 years of age. Others, who do not fall under this category, will have to get the dose at a private hospital by paying the price fixed by the government.”
He added that many had not gotten the dose since it was not available in private hospitals. “We are forwarding this feedback to the government. We have so far administered precaution doses to 30% to 35% of eligible persons,” Honakeri added.
Dharwad deputy commissioner Nitesh Patil repeated what Honakeri said. “As many people are not approaching private hospitals to get the precaution dose, many hospitals have not come forward to buy the vaccine to give precaution doses,” he said.
He said there was some confusion regarding availability. Arrangements at private hospitals would be made, Patil added.
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