Token system at centres surprises CoWIN-registered beneficiaries

Naina Mishra

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 3

As many as 1,418 beneficiaries from the new priority group got inoculated with the Covid-19 vaccine in the city today. Many city hospitals have started token system for the elderly coming for vaccination to streamline the walk-in and self-registered beneficiaries, which has irked the latter.

Dr Neeraj Kumar from Chaitanya Hospital said, “Those coming with self-registration from home are made to sit with those coming to the hospital through walk-in. The booking shows two slots – forenoon and afternoon from 9 am to 3 pm. There are no specific time slots for them and hence, we have started issuing tokens to everyone. Everyone coming for the vaccination, either through self-registration or walk-in, will have to wait for their turn. We have also started issuing time slots for those who are depositing vaccination fees a day in advance so that they can be covered within a timeframe.”

At the Sector 49 Civil Dispensary also, there is a token system for the elderly. Residents coming with self-registration through the CoWIN application are disappointed on being turned away. “I registered myself on the CoWIN application and was given a time slot between 9 am and 3 pm. I visited the Sector 49 dispensary at 9.15 am but the staff refused to acknowledge the registration on the pretext that they had already issued tokens to 120 beneficiaries,” said Brij Bhushan Mahajan, a senior citizen.

Sunny Thakur, a city resident, said, “I got my parents registered for the vaccination scheduled today at a private hospital. They visited the infirmary but were not vaccinated due to the crowd. They have been told to visit on March 5 now.”

Another resident, Vineet, said Healing Hospital informed them to call a day before the vaccination.

4 more vaccination centres to open today

Civil Dispensary, Dadu Majra
Civil Dispensary, Sector 8
Jindal Hospital, Sector 20
Global Hospital, Sector 21

Vaccination status

HCW first dose 298
HCW second dose 193
FLW 817
45 to 60 years 80
Above 60 years 1,338
Total 2,726