Between Scylla and Charybdis
Finally, the wait is over. Prime Minister announced the nation-wide massive vaccination drive targeting citizens above sixty years. I was waiting for this golden moment, as I thought it is the only current solution to fight the Coronavirus.
The Ministry of Health undertook a massive overhauling of the COWIN portal for two days, which all the citizens will use. The portal would help in tracking the vaccination process by an individual across the country. The Ministry also provided detailed instructions on registering, selecting the vaccination site and the other events associated with the process. I had two options — go to a government dispensary or a private hospital. While it is free in a public hospital, I need to pay Rs 250 per shot in a private hospital.
March First. 9 am. I logged into the COWIN portal. The portal does not work. Many like-minded would have failed to log in. After repeated attempts, I was able to log in and register for vaccination. But I failed in the second step — finding a vaccination site. After carefully choosing the state, district and block, I was unable to get a slot. I got a similar response from all the listed locations. I decide to go to a few locations physically to check whether I can get a slot. I spent the whole day visiting the hospitals. Buerocracy kicked in, and the hospitals refused to entertain me as I have not selected their venue on the app.
I narrated my exploits to a friend of mine in the evening. He laughed at me and hinted that I was wasting my time. According to him, the vaccine is not mandatory. He pointed to me to a few videos and social media sites showing the after-effects of the vaccination — falling off, getting paralysed, blood clots, kidney disorders and getting sick. There is widespread vaccine scepticism about the necessity, efficacy and safety of the vaccines. On one side, the virus variants are increasing in the city, and I cannot get the vaccination in time despite my best efforts.
I was between Scylla and Charybdis. In classical Greek Mythology, Scylla was a horrible six-headed monster who lived on a rock on one side of a narrow strait. Charybdis was a whirlpool on the other side. When ships passed close to Scylla’s rock to avoid Charybdis, she would seize and devour their sailors.
Mrs Jayashree came to my rescue as the good samaritan. She is my neighbour who is always willing to help others. She had gone through a similar experience in not finding a vaccination site through the portal. She went to MS Ramaiah hospital after checking out a few other private hospitals. She volunteered to take me to the hospital though I did not have the required appointment.
To my surprise, I was able to get the appointment as I walked into the hospital. The staff were amiable. There was ample space for the visitors. The front desk staff were very courteous. The entire process was very well laid out, like an assembly line, beginning with reception, registration etc. The beauty was that I would know whether I would get the shot or not. After the payment and the registration, one of the staff members checked my temperature and oxygen saturation level. Another nurse recorded my pre-existing conditions. A few doctors were around in case I need help. After the vaccination, there was a mandatory waiting time of thirty minutes. A tea cart was around for any refreshments for the visitors. Though the actual vaccination process is less than a minute, the total cycle time is around two hours. The service was exemplary. I had a good sleep, and there were no other side effects.
Now that the first shot is done, it is my waiting time for the second shot. Sceptics are back in action that the vaccination is of no use as the virus can devour me anytime. The first shot does not guarantee that I will not get the coronavirus. I am between the devil and the deep sea again.
