‘People Who do Not have Aadhar Card are Not Able to Register for Vaccination’

Q: What kind of challenges are you facing on COVID-19 vaccinations?

Community Health Officer (CHO): Vaccinations are being done at the Primary Health Centre (PHC), Sub Centre, and the Gram Panchayat levels. The problem is that some people do not have an Aadhar Card. Thus, they are not able to register themselves. We have informed the Medical Officer about this. Online registration is also a challenge for people who are less educated or who do not have smartphones.

For maintaining the records of COVID-19 vaccines, a virtual training was organised by the Medical Officer. Information of people who are coming for vaccinations - like name, age, etc. - is being recorded.

Q: How are COVID-19 patients being isolated and what initiatives are being taken to stop the infection from spreading?

CHO: Currently, the focus is more on home isolation. There is also an isolation centre in the village where patients with severe symptoms are referred. To stop the spread, both we and ASHA are making the community aware about the importance of social distancing. Everyone is asked to wear masks at all times.

Q: Are you providing teleconsultation facilities to people?

CHO: Yes, teleconsultation started last year as part of which doctors can be called via an app. This is available for people who are already taking treatment for non-communicable diseases like diabetes and blood pressure. This is also available for older people who are not able to come to the hospital.

This interview was conducted with a Community Health Officer (CHO) in Solan, Himachal Pradesh in Hindi on 24 May 2021, and has been translated.

Source: PTI