Vaccination process in Tirupur streamlined as poll booths turn into jab centres

TIRUPUR: The garment hub of Tirupur started following the polling booth system for administering Covid vaccine shots on Monday to streamline the vaccination process as well as to prevent crowding.
Following states like Assma and Delhi, the Tirupur district administration opted the system, where residents were given tokens as per their names on the voter list, specifying date and time for visiting vaccine booths. Each polling booth, invariably a government school, was allotted 100 to 200 vaccine shots depending on the need and availability. Officials said that the booths, which were used as vaccination centres, would be announced to residents through public address systems by respective local bodies.
As per the plan, people visited polling booths they would usually go for voting. Collector Vineeth had ordered officials to deploy a team comprising revenue and health staff. As people came, their names were verified and vaccine shots were administered. In booths like Iduvampalayam, Karuvampalayam and Andipalayam, several people who did not have votes in those localities, started gathering demanding vaccines.
They pointed out that the method would affect people who are from other districts and states, but are living in Tirupur for work.
Since they have their votes in native places, they would be left out of the vaccination process. “Under this system, neither can I get vaccine here nor can I travel to my native because of the lockdown,” said an Iduvampalayam resident.
Some people were confused about the allotted polling booth and had to be sent to neighbouring booth to get the shot. This resulted in arguments between the public and officials at few places, delaying the vaccination process.
At Karuvampalayam, where vaccine stocks ran out, public staged a protest. Villagers said that they have been waiting for hours for the vaccine only to be told to come the next day. Health officials said the issues would be sorted out in the coming days.