Government’s bungling at vaccination sites is heart-rending

THE EDITOR, Madam:

The universal truism that ‘one time is mistake, but two times is purpose’ fully describes how the Government is managing vaccination sites across the island.

The constant repetition of chaos and confusion witnessed at these vaccination sites convey the impression that the personnel responsible for organising them have taken leave of their senses.

First of all, where else in this 21-century world does a service provider opens for business at 10:00 a.m.? How difficult can it be for a half-dozen workers/volunteers to turn up at the site at 7:00 a.m. and begin to issue out the questionnaires? By 7:30 a.m., when all the forms would have been completed, the personnel responsible for administering the vaccine, along with those responsible for taking the patient’s information, should be on site ready to begin the process of vaccination.

A lot of the vaccination sites are schools which boast 20 or more classrooms, in addition to large campuses on which tents can be erected.

With about five vaccination sites in the Kingston Metropolitan Region, are we not able to post 12 persons who administer the vaccine, and another 35 workers/volunteers at each site?

IMPERATIVE

It is imperative that the Government puts measures in place immediately to better manage these vaccination exercises, with a view to achieving greater efficiency. For it can’t be beyond the wisdom of the Government that scores of persons are leaving these vaccination sites utterly confused and frustrated with the level of inefficiency and bungling by which they are characterised.

Worse than the fact that these hundreds of persons leaving vaccination sites in frustration without being vaccinated, is the fact that they are vowing never to go back to any other. If these vows materialise, the country’s aim at achieving herd immunity would be dealt a devastating blow, for which the Government would have to take full responsibility.

A word to the wise is sufficient.

CASHLEY BROWN