Jammu Tawi, May 18: Forget the remote village of Pukrani along Line of Control in Rajouri, the “So-Called Underway” Phase 3 vaccination drive of the J&K Government is yet to reach Pindi Khurd village of Arnia along the International Border in Jammu district. This village is some 45 kilometres from Jammu but is yet to see Phase 3 vaccination and are told that vaccination will begin only when the vaccines will arrive.
18 days after Jammu and Kashmir started its vaccination drive for the 18 to 45 age group, the drive is yet to reach the peripheral areas of the Jammu district. “I went to vaccinate my wife but was told that there is no vaccination for the 18-45 age group and only above 45 can get themselves vaccinated,” Sunil Singh said.
Rajwant Singh, the elected Panch of village Pindi Khurd, last village on Indo-Pakistan International Border in Arnia is worried as four persons have tested positive in his panchayat and the majority is in the 18-45 age group. He says that he spoke to doctors who are at Arnia vaccination centre about the same but they are also unaware of the exact date when vaccination will begin.
“I have registered myself on the COWIN platform from the very first day but are yet to get slots. We are ready to get vaccinated,” Tavleen Boparia said.
On May 01, Jammu and Kashmir started its Phase 3 vaccination drive which was more in a hurry than a planned exercise as a day before the J&K Health Department in its statement said, “While the registration for vaccination of eligible persons in the age group 18-45 has been opened on COWIN, the actual vaccination will not begin from 1 May 2021. It will begin from a date to be announced later once the vaccine supply is established. Vaccination will not be a walk in but only through pre-registration of slots. No slots have been opened for booking a session. Please wait for the announcement of the vaccination start date for the 18-45 age group.”
But all of a sudden, it all started in the afternoon when J&K announced that it has got 75,000 doses of Covaxin each for the Jammu and Kashmir region and started a drive which has now been restricted to only one vaccination centre that too in Jammu city.
