Covid-19 vaccine drive in Bengaluru mired in mix-ups, technical glitches and negligence

Chaos and confusion

State officials are facing a challenge to determine the number of people vaccinated against Covid-19 in the ongoing drive due to mix-ups, technical glitches and negligence.

Many have complained of not getting certificates post-vaccination, while some said they got erroneous certificates.

Some others have found that their registered mobile numbers have been used to vaccinate strangers, as was the case with a 56-year-old resident of Thyagarajanagar in the city.

The woman, Suma S R, attempted to book a vaccination slot on Aarogya Setu with her mobile number on May 30 and discovered that four strangers in Gujarat had already been vaccinated using the same number on April 14.

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“You can imagine our shock, especially after the four people who took the vaccination were not even residents of Karnataka,” said Suma’s son, Abhishek.

Not possible, says BBMP

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike said such a mix-up cannot happen. Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta pointed out that the booking of slots is linked to an OTP (one-time-password).

However, Abhishek said they had never received an OTP. “I don’t know if fraud was committed or if this is a technical glitch. The BBMP and 1075 helpline have not helped us sort this out. They said I should take it up with officials in Gujarat,” he said.

Also read: Covid-19: BBMP aims to vaccinate sizeable population in three months

No-certificate situation

In another case, Veena, a 54-year-old resident of RR Nagar who received her second dose on May 5 at a BBMP vaccination camp in GG Halli, never received her certificate. She fears that her contact details may have been improperly entered by the vaccination staff.

“A friend who was vaccinated with me received her certificate a few days later, but mine has not come at all,” she said.

“How will I show proof that I have had two doses? Suppose, next year, a booster dose is given for people who have the final certificate. Then people like me are in trouble. And beyond that, how will the government know how many people have been vaccinated if individuals like me are slipping through the cracks?” Veena asked.

The CoWIN app erroneously states that her second dose is still pending.

Software snag?

When asked, Jawaid Akhtar, Additional Chief Secretary (Health), said this does not normally happen and feels it could be a software snag. He said the persons concerned can approach the vaccination centre with relevant details and the authorities will get the certificates generated.

A group of six people who received the first jab of Covaxin at KC General Hospital in Malleswaram on May 7 faced a similar no-certificate situation.

A doctor at the hospital's vaccination centre said this could have happened if they got the jab without registering.

However, the group said they had submitted the details on paper slips provided by the hospital. “Do they mean to say that anybody can get the vaccine without registering?” one of them asked.