Covid vaccination certificate for dead rights activist, family stunned

Tribune News Service

Vishav Bharti

Chandigarh, June 16

The Health Department seems to be not sparing even the dead while fudging the Covid vaccination figures. The latest example is of a prominent human rights activist who passed away last year due to Covid, but as per the government record, he was administered vaccination yesterday.

It came as a rude shock for Phillaur-based family of Jai Singh, who was known for his work on bonded labour across the country. As per an SMS received on his mobile, he was given the second dose of Covishield vaccine on Wednesday (June 15). Jai Singh died due to Covid on May 19 last year. A few days before his death, he had got the first dose of the vaccination. He never received the second dose.

Officials fudging figures

This is nothing but insensitivity on part of health officials. Earlier, they were trying to downplay the number of Covid casualties. Now they are just trying to fudge figures to meet their vaccination targets. They are not even sparing the dead. — Prabhjot Kaur, Jai Singh’s daughter

Portal being updated

The online portal is being updated, so there might have been some technical mistake. — Dr Rohini Goyal, SMO, sub-divisional hospital, Phillaur

His daughter Gagandeep Kaur, who is a lawyer, said she received an SMS on her father’s mobile number. Using the SMS, she downloaded her father’s vaccination certificate. As per the document, her father received the first dose of Covishield on May 14, 2021, and he was given the second dose on June 15, 2022, at the Sub-Divisional Hospital, Phillaur. Even the name of the nurse who administered the vaccine to him has been mentioned.

“This is nothing but insensitive attitude of health officials. Earlier, they were trying to downplay the number of Covid casualties. Now they are just trying to fudge the figures to meet their targets of complete vaccination. They are not even sparing the dead,” said Prabhjot Kaur, Jai Singh’s younger daughter.

Sources in the Health Department revealed that such fudging of the figures was outcome of the low compliance for the second dose. Now, the Government of India and Punjab Government have been pressing field officials to pursue and administer the second dose to the people who have already been administered the first dose.

The situation is such that even at the primary health centre-level, the lists of those who have not taken the second dose are being sent and officials are being asked to meet the targets. The sources said out of that desperation, some local employees were making fake enteries.

All attempts to contact Dr Balwinder Kaur, state’s incharge for Covid vaccination, remained futile as she didn’t attend the call despite repeated attempts.

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