HUBBALLI: Most members of the medical staff at KIMS Hospital in Hubballi, one of the largest government hospitals in Karnataka, have avoided taking the Covid vaccine.
The hospital has around 2500 staff including doctors, nurses, technicians, group D workers, medical college students, teachers, and others.
Dharwad district, where the hospital is situated, has reported more than 22,000 Covid-19 cases. Most of these patients were treated at the KIMS hospital. More than 60 members of the staff had themselves been infected with Covid.
"There are 2500 staff in KIMS of whom 301 have got vaccine shots (12 percent). The others are hesitating to take the vaccine. Before the vaccine was supplied to the hospital, the hospital authorities had conducted an orientation programme about the vaccine, but still, the staff are not showing interest in getting vaccinated," said an official from the KIMS.
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"There is a need for a long-term study about the efficiency and other aspects of the vaccine. The vaccine producers are claiming only 50-80 percent efficiency and the recent death of a healthcare worker (who got the jab) at Ballari might have added to the reluctance. Another factor is that the number of fresh Covid-19 cases have come down," the official added.
Arunkumar C, Medical Superintendent of KIMS hospital, said it is for the beneficiaries to decide whether or not to take the vaccine. "But we are creating awareness through our social media groups. The doctors who were administered the vaccine are posting on the group saying they have not suffered any reaction or any other complications," he said.
Eleven thousand vials of the Covishield vaccine have reached the district. The remaining vials should reach in the coming days.
"The district has a vaccine target of 7,979 beneficiaries. Of that, 4,669 (58.52 percent) people got the vaccine. The drive will continue for the next couple of days," said a health officer.