COVID protocols in vaccination centres: Letters to The Editor

COVID protocols in vaccination centres

The second wave of COVID-19 and its outbreak in India has recently taken a terrible turn. With the increase in cases, the situation has become complicated further due to lack of hospital beds and lack of oxygen and ventilation for critically ill patients. To deal with such terrible situations time has come to take things seriously and follow all the protocols.

Vaccination has started almost everywhere, including Assam. But while going for vaccination more challenges have occurred because people are not following the protocols properly. All the vaccination centres are full of crowds and the social distancing is not being maintained by people. Because of the lack of clarity on time slots, people have to wait for a long time and it is the main reason for overcrowding. Most of the people are seen without masks also. In the second wave, the youth are seen to get more affected by COVID-19. As we know the registration of vaccination for the 18+ people has started and the process is also going to start soon. So, I hope they will be serious enough and pay enough heed to maintain the protocol during their vaccination process. Maintaining social distancing is the key measure that needs to be followed strictly. No social distancing at vaccination centres can lead to an increase in the COVID-19 cases. It is high time people changed their carefree attitude and start taking necessary precautions. The carelessness of one person might take hundreds of lives. So, we need to stand together against the virus.

Murchana Baruah,

CU, Guwahati.

Assam-type buildings

Though there are no major reports of any casualties after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake and a series of tremors afterwards struck the State of Assam and some other parts of India on Wednesday, everyone of us needs to live in a properly-built building structure to protect ourselves from future dangers. As everyone knows this part of India is highly prone to earthquakes, we feel proud of our Assam-type buildings, which were designed to withstand very high-seismic activities.

Assam-type houses are one of the best engineering and architectural structures not only in terms of earthquake resistance but also in terms of maintaining a very comfortable, healthy environment inside the structures following the locally available raw materials and climate of the state. Also, the purity of materials and engineering and architecture applied in the design and building of houses, bridges, hospitals, roads and all other structures signify the importance of civil engineering and technology and architecture in ensuring safety and security of lives.

Be it a small or a large structure, everyone of us should have proper consultation from engineers before and after building a house or any other structure, which include safety and security of lives. The Disaster Management Authorities and all other departments concerned of the government should also take the matter seriously.

Bibhash Deva Nath,

Guwahati.

Online classes

Through your esteemed daily, I would like to draw the attention of the authorities concerned about the online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic situation. Are online classes helping the students in rural areas? In the previous lockdown, we all saw how a young village student had committed suicide because he could not attend online classes. The same problem is there this time too. The problems are financial ones, besides the non-availability of internet network in remote rural areas. We see that a section of rural poor can't afford to buy good smartphones for their children.

Nibeer Das,

CU, Guwahati.

Essence of national character

During our childhood, our revered teachers taught us the essence of national character. A country with a strong national character of the citizens is bound to overcome any obstacles. The indomitable spirit was shown by the Britishers during WW2 against the German onslaught when the entire world was thought of British capitulation. Japan is another country that rose from the phoenix after the US bombard the tiny island with atom bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The world thought Japan was done and dusted but today Japan is one of the most advanced countries in the world. Japanese fighting spirit is world-renowned. Coming back to India which is currently fighting the most difficult battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, the national character is somewhat lacking. Politicians are doing a blame game and a certain segment of citizens are doing black marketing of essential life-saving commodities in this hour of crisis. Delhi has become the worst hit in terms of devastation by pandemic and hoarding and black marketing. A republic without a national character is better known as a banana republic.

Dr Ashim Chowdhury,

Guwahati.

COVID vaccination

As the registration of citizens above 18 years of age for vaccination against COVID-19 started on the CoWIN portal at 4 pm on the 28th April 2021, many people took to social media to complain about technical problems. They faced a harrowing experience to register themselves for the 3rd phase of the inoculation drive that is scheduled to begin from May 1.

As the new entrants are very eager to vaccinate themselves, the technical problems for registration should be immediately solved. This is my request to the authority concerned to fix all hiccups in the vaccination.

Putul Sarma,

Bamgaon, Biswanath Chariali Vaccine and chaos

The COVID vaccine has come up with hope among people to save lives from the deadly virus. But with its approach, there is increasing dilemma amongst people about its reliability. The people are somehow surrounded by information that cites the death of people after taking the vaccine. There are cases of former actress and present Congress leader Magma, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, seven policemen of Golaghat. Interestingly in all the above-mentioned cases, the people took the first dose of the COVID vaccine and yet were found with the deadly virus when tested afterwards.

But again there might be some other reasons for their death or health complications as most of the people are fit and fine after taking it. So through the column of your esteemed daily, I want to request the government to kindly break this chaos and give clarification as well as assure people about its benefits, so that they can come forward to accept it without a second thought.

Aranyani Borah,

Guwahati.

Swift vaccination programme

With a rapid increase in the number of deaths due to COVID-19 in Assam, the government has to make its vaccination programme swift (a reference to your news item- 26 die of Coronavirus - Sentinel, 29/4/2021). Of course, the government has had a limitation as far as the vaccination programme is concerned. In other words, the government has to receive COVID vaccines from the producers of the same. With the demand for COVID vaccines being high presently, firms producing COVID vaccines are not able to deliver vaccines to the purchasers as quickly as is sought. Vaccinated or not vaccinated, one should adhere to precautions to remain safe from the virus. Including the people in the other States of India, the people of Assam should consider COVID-19 seriously.

Maheswar Deka,

Rangia.

DGP's revelation

Director-General of Police (DGP) Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta made alarming revelations regarding the rise of the Islamic jehadi forces in the State. The recent arrest of a sleeper cell activist of a proscribed Islamic fundamentalist from a district in lower Assam should be a wake-up call for the organizations like AASU (who always vouch for the Bangladesh origin Muslims or the Miyas). The arrested cadre of the banned outfit has admitted that nefarious designs of the organizations are going on in full swing in minority-dominated areas. The DGP has appealed to patriotic minority community people to assist police in unearthing evil forces. The char chaporis of lower Assam districts have become a hotbed of Islamic fundamentalists. Pakistan and Bangladesh-sponsored groups like JMB, MULTA use the char chaporis as grazing grounds to prepare their cadres and spread ideology. Congress over the years remained blindfolded for the sake of votes as a result illegal Bangladeshi influx continued unabated. The illegal Bangladeshis were assisted by the then Congress government in procuring documents like ration card, Aadhar card, voter card, driving licence, passport, etc. The birth rate of these people is exceptionally high and in the coming decade or so they threaten to become a majority in the State. Politically these people have AIUDF so from all sides the motive to convert the entire Assam into Miya land is working well.

Time for the indigenous people to see the truth and don't get carried away by the comments of selfish politicians. We must unite to defeat the nefarious plan of the jihadi forces.

Julie Bhuyan,

Gaurisagar