A couple of months ago, the vaccination status of the support staff at Jains Inseli Park was something to gripe about. Now, it is something to be proud about — largely because of what effected the turnaround.
In May, when the gated community’s management committee (MC) planned to launch a vaccination drive for the 18-to-45 age group, it took a count of the unvaccinated at the community, which brought a shocking piece of statistic to light.
Arun Dhanaraj, secretary, Jains Inseli Park Owners’ Association reveals that it was discovered that hardly two percent of the support staff had taken the jab. As the community had 50-odd support staff, this shortfall was setting off alarm bells.
The MC touched base with the local UPHC and sought a vaccination camp to be conducted at the community. All of this was happening when the second wave was at its height. With the medical apparatus being stretched to the limits, this effort did not bear fruit. Simultaneously, the MC was working on the support staff, impressing upon them the fact that total vaccination coverage is what would lead us out of the pandemic.
The committee also made it clear to the staff that without vaccination, the professional association may have to be brought to an end.
The MC team launched a sponsorship drive called #IPCares (Inseli Park Cares) to ensure vaccination with a private hospital.
“We collected ₹40,000 through sponsorship. Our property manager and the staff on our rolls were among those who loosened their purse strings,” he says.
Through the MyGate app, updates about who had signed up for the vaccination camp as well as who sponsored for it were broadcast.
“For the direct reports among the support staff, the Association sponsored the entire vaccination amount; for those on the payroll of a vendor, the Association met 50 p.c. of the vaccination amount,” says Arun.
Provision as incentive
Finally, on 12 June 2021, 161 people including residents took the vaccination at an on-site drive organised in association with a private hospital. As a goodwill gesture, the frontline staff who took the jab received a five kilo rice bag. As a majority of the MC members being employed with corporates, they successfully replicated methods followed by their organisations in planning and executing employee vaccination drives.
While Kannan Hareendrakumar coordinated with the hospital authorities Swarnavalli held multiple sessions to build confidence among the staff on the importance of vaccination; and Balaji GR was incharge of the finance.
“The company sponsors the vaccination cost for the employee as well as their family members. Here, we get the residents to sponsor the vaccination,” says Arun.
The vaccination drive offered the participants a choice between Covishield and Covaxin; and the inoculation was carried out in shifts.
It took the Association almost a month to have the on-site camp as Chennai was up against vaccine shortage. A minimum count of 100 people and pre-payment were prerequisites for the private hospital to carry out the vaccination at the society.
Arun underlines how the vaccination drive served two purposes. One, 95 per cent of the support staff got vaccinated. From two precent to 95, the vaccination status had indeed looked up.
Two, the drive also ensured a good number of residents were brought under the safety ring of vaccine-induced protection.