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Senior Citizens Arrives At GMC For Vaccination Only To Find The Doors Are Shut

This kind of goof-up is not new for the GMC which is one of the topmost medical facilities in the state. right from the case

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Goa Medical College
Goa Medical College (GMC)
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This kind of goof-up is not new for the GMC which is one of the topmost medical facilities in the state. right from the case of cremating the body of a 24-year-old youth from Aldona mistaking it as an unidentified body in the morgue to the pathetic conditions of the wards, everything is taken very lightly by the authorities and the ministers. 

The second phase of the Covid vaccination was announced by the State government on Monday for the senior citizens and 45 plus with the co-morbidities but when these people arrived at the GMC to get their Jab on Monday they found the doors of the Covid Vaccination center was shut. 

It may be recalled that the DHS (directorate of health services) had issued the press note on Sunday informing the public especially that GMC is one of the 37 centers selected for the second phase of vaccination in Goa. 

However, the hospital turned down all those who showed up on day one of the drives stating that there was misinformation. 

“We waited for weeks for our turn. We traveled all the way from Panaji to GMC and found the doors shut. This was very disheartening and very irresponsible on the part of DHS. Are they trying to encourage people to get vaccinated or discourage them?” a senior citizen told TOI. 

The GMC was supposed to allow walk-in registrations and vaccinations, like all other health centers — South Goa district hospital, Mapusa and Ponda sub-district hospital, public health center, and community health centers, among others. 

Meanwhile, the dean of the GMC came to the rescue calling it misinformation and that they had never stated that GMC will be one of the Vaccination centers in Goa for the second phase of the vaccination drive in Goa. 

“This was misinformation. We never stated that GMC, Bambolim would be a vaccination center for senior citizens,” dean GMC Dr. S Bandekar said. State immunization officer Dr Rajendra Borkar also came in support of the dean of GMC saying that it was an error and misinformation. 

The government is yet to release a list of healthcare centers where seniors and those in the age group 45 to 59 can go to get vaccinated. The communication gap between the directorate of health services and the public has resulted in citizens missing out on the opportunity to get vaccinated. 

Now the question is who is responsible and why the senior citizens and other people with the co-morbidities waiting for their turn suffer for someone’s misinformation? GMC being the Apex hospital does need to take care of such misinformation and make sure it does not keep happening again and again. Did GMC or the concerned authorities issues any notice after reading the news of Vaccination on Monday? If not then are they not updated with the news in the media? What do you think?  

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