Tension prevailed at the Thirumalayampalayam Primary Health Centre (PHC) on Wednesday after some persons agitated against the new arrangement wherein people were asked to produce the token issued from the panchayat office for COVID-19 vaccination.
However, the hospital administration claimed that the arrangement was made after people from various places started thronging the facility from early hours and some of them were found selling tokens.
A notice pasted at the PHC said that tokens issued by four panchayats covered by the facility namely Thirumalayampalayam, Ettimadai town panchayats, Mavuthampathi and Pichanur village panchayats were needed for vaccination.
A senior doctor said that the arrangement was made to distribute vaccine doses allotted to the hospital equally for people from the four panchayats. This could also reduce the rush at the hospital and save the time of the minimal staff available.
R. Rameshkumar from Thirumalayampalayam alleged that the PHC was administering vaccine to people on a first-come first-basis after verifying Aadhaar card till Tuesday.
“It was informed that the vaccine would be available from 9 a.m. on Wednesday. People started waiting in the queue from as early as 4.30 a.m. But around 10 a.m., it was informed that the token from the panchayat through Aadhaar verification was required for the vaccine. People who waited for long hours had to leave,” he alleged.
More than 100 people thronged the PHC after which the police were called to control the situation.
