Citizens Voice Coimbatore urges CM to implement Auto SMS slot booking service at vaccination centres including through missed calls
Coimbatore: The Citizens Voice Coimbatore (CVC) has written a letter to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M K Stalin to implement Auto SMS slot booking service at vaccination centres and also through missed calls to the Covid War room to avoid overcrowding.
CVC President, C M Jayaraman and Secretary, V A Shanmugam stated in the letter, "The Covid-19 pandemic has thrown our life out of gear for more than a year and unfortunately, innumerable human lives were lost. Not mentioning here, loss of livelihood and deep financial injuries for millions of families.
We, as a country have taken the challenge of inventing vaccines to stay alive not just physically but to keep our hopes and ambitions of bouncing back to normal life. Both Central and State Governments across the country with the support of Covid frontline warriors are doing a commendable job to stop the greatest challenge of human lives in the modern era.
The process of vaccination is well-known and documented. We wish to bring to your notice that vaccination centers are becoming breeding grounds due to the heavy rush, queues and time taken for the entire process. This not only throws open serious expose to visitors but also the staff manning the counters. In this regard, we offer the following for a seamless process of slot booking to vaccination:
1. SMS Slot (Automatic) booking service: Every district or Corporation office is to have a networked SMS helpline center/war room. Public, even from a rural area can SMS their Aadhar number to the helpline SMS number, get the slot booking details on their mobile and visit the centre on the date/time of the slot. On receiving vital information, including area pin code, the PHC or the nearest vaccination centre, in batches of 100s or so. Any change in the pin code provision for the latest address may be permitted, with proof. The moment the person is vaccinated, the system will send message for printing of vaccination certificate.
2. Call Centre Help Line: A call centre helpline number can be set up in Corporation Offices to help who are not comfortable with SMS, digital operations. Upon confirming the Aadhar details over the phone, the call centre staff can initiate a system-generated booking which should reach the mobile of the booking person. This will help avoid lengthy queues and limit exposure/spread of the pandemic and will definitely be a benchmark for Citizen Services. The above suggested installations will not incur much capital and maintenance cost. With many of the corporates willing to extend a helping hand to handle this situation, this will be a great opportunity for them to contribute as part of their CSR responsibilities."
The press release also detailed protocols required stating "We sincerely hope the authorities will take stock of the ground realities as suggested. Together, let’s overcome the pandemic and make humanity free of sufferings and look forward to a healthy and safe peaceful life ahead. Any further assistance, we, CVC offer our help.
Protocols requested to prevent Corona third wave:
1. Vaccine zones are to be free from crowding and at any cost consumer public should be able to book “vaccines from home” through smart phones or Missed Calls to War Room
2. All places of worship Hindu, Muslim and Christian should keep devotees away until normalcy is restored.
3. Let us hold celebration of festivals like Aadi Kiruthigai, Aadi Amaavaasai, Adi 18 away from temples, rivers and worship from home.
4. Items like fish, mutton, flowers, milk, ration, veggies, fruits etc can be made available at street corners using TNSTC old buses.
5. Solatium by Government shall be sent only through online digitally, direct to the beneficiary’s account.
6. Cloth, jewellery malls must be shut without delay since crowding is heavy in these places.
7. Sale of TASMAC items are considered inevitable for want of income to the Government but it should be sent by courier to the doorstep of the consumers to make them consume less and be safe at home.
8. At entry points inside Coimbatore by road, air and train, there should be verification of recently-issued “No Covid certificate,” if they do not carry the same and they should be sent back or quarantined up to 15 days.
9. All grievance petitions should be allowed to be submitted at villages without any crowd. As far as possible, the petitions to the Collectorate, Commissioner of Corporation to be allowed to be presented by e-mail/Whats App.
10. But the officials are to be strictly advised to take prompt action as per the norms within stipulations and the “citizens charters” are to be adhered to.
11. Violators of social distancing and mask-wearing should be penalised heavily with transparency of fine collected, followed by stringent punishment for subsequent violations. The penalty fines collected ought to be used for vaccinating the poor and those not complying with Covid protocol need to be made to do mass cleaning work to teach them the dignity of labour.
12. Festivals like Aadi Amavaasai, Aadi 18 are to be banned to avoid crowding."