Now a days daily you must be reading in newspapers about glitches being developing in CoWin App almost every day thus delaying the Covid vaccinationprogram and its administration. Now what is this App-
Before starting the actual vaccination program, Central Govt developed this CoWin app, which will be used for vaccination drive. As per govt information about for whichgroup of people vaccination drive is being started, people of that group will have to register themselves on this App, so that they can be intimated about the date on which they will be vaccinated and at which vaccination centre.
As per this application, it will provide three options for registeration to the beneficiaries- self registeration, individual registeration and bulk upload. It is having four modules – user administrator module, beneficiary registeration, vaccination and beneficiary acknowledgement and status update.
Text in 12 languages can be sent, for the guidance of waiting beneficiary for vaccination. A QR code based vaccination certificate will be issued after all doses are given and people can store the same in their mobile.
Presently vaccination is being given to people associated with healthcare (doctors, nurses, frontline health workers etc). As per the information available govet might open registeration for general public, as per age bracketsduring next month.
This vaccination program is going to be very big, about 260 crore doses, to vaccinate 1/6th of world’s population. ThiesApp is going to ensure that nobody is left out and all the eligible categories are covered, a App is definitely needed, which can cover the account of every individual, so that so that you are able to monitor each one and reming him/her which vaccine they had taken, so that next time too they get the same vaccine.
An application which can record each vaccination event, issue a certificate so that the person knows which dose, on what date and when is the next dose due, is needed. Also what is important is that each individual authenticates himself so that somebody does not steal somebody else’s right.
There was issue about the privacy for this App also, questions are being asked why the govt need so much data of an individual. The fact is no one is forcing you to get vaccinated, but if govt is taking the responsibiliy to deliver the vaccination to you in case you want. Then what is wrong in informing during registeratio who you are and other detalis about your illness if any, does not violate the privacy of the individual. From the day 1, people have started saying there are huge gltches, the application violates privacy. These are just for defaming the govt, now Facebook is selling individual data, there people have no problem.
Other important aspect of this App is people who do not have smartphones can register themselves through helplines, IVRS or through other methods.
Now it is more than 5 weeks after the vaccination drive had commenced but App gltches are continuing. Yesterday some expert commented that govt should also involve private health sector for vaccination, as it as the govt sponsored/controlled health centres are not able to cope with this drive. In one month of drive only 1% of population have been vaccinated. Some other expert commented that during polio drive, if you can vaccinate more than 1 Cr children in a single day with the participation of both govt & private health sector than what is wrong in opening Covid vaccination through private health centre, where people can go and register themselves on the basis of their Aadhar card. The private health care centre can immediately inform the beneficiary about the date and time of vaccination. The health centre should inform the govt (may be on daily or weekly basis) the details of the preson (with Aadhar number) who have been vaccinated.
Secondly if govt has enough vaccination doses available, then they can be made available in the market and people who can afford to pay for the vaccination dose can get the same vaccinated frrom some approved vaccination centre.
Unless the govt open some other outlets for vaccination, it will be difficult to manage the vaccination of entire populace of the country. At the present rate it might take few years to get the entire populace vaccinated. To finish the vaccination process in one year, we need to vaccinate more than 30 lacs people on a daily basis. As per the govt they are in position to give these many shots in day with present infra in publis health care, which in my opinion is very far fethched thought.
Waiting for your views/comments.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
24th February 2021
R. N. Mungale.
I agree.