Coronavirus cases: IMA Goa urges government to speed up COVID-19 vaccination drive

Panaji, Feb 23: The Goa chapter of the Indian Medical Association on Tuesday urged the state government to speed up the COVID-19 vaccination drive in the coastal state to prevent a second wave of the infection.

In a letter to the state authorities, the IMA Goa stated that the important aspect of vaccination is the speed and the coverage, with which at least 60 per cent of the state's population can be vaccinated.

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"This will reduce the incidence of new cases and save the state from witnessing a second wave," IMA Goa president Vinayak Buvaji said in the letter.

The IMA has requested the government to authorise the local medical association to approve beneficiaries and direct them for vaccination at nearest vaccine booths with ID proof, it said.

The COVID-19 vaccine booths set up in private hospitals have a dedicated manpower for inoculation, but they are underutilised and lack of powers to approve beneficiaries, the letter stated.

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The IMA suggested that private hospitals registered with DDSSY, the state-run insurance scheme, also be roped in for the vaccination drive. Healthcare workers should be allowed "on the spot entry" with ID proof/certificate from the concerned hospitals, the association said.

The IMA has also suggested that like the national immunisation programme more vaccination booths can be set up at main police stations, headquarters, major government offices and reputed private offices for maximum coverage.