With persistent criticism over the need for those in the 18 to 44 age group to register online for the Covid-19 vaccine, the Hynñiewtrep Integrated Territorial Organization (HITO) has asked the state government to consider using local headmen to enable offline registration.
In a letter to the Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, HITO president Donbok Dkhar and general secretary Wanbun N Dkhar, said that the implementation mechanism used for vaccination has been “far from ideal” even though immunisation is the only way to protect Meghalayans.
Trying to register online for a limited slot has been a frustrating and wearying task for the 18-44s. HITO described the requirement to register online as “deeply unfair to the masses of people” because not everyone will have a smartphone, internet connection, or be well-versed in English or how to fill in the form.
Such a system is “geared unfairly towards the privileged urban elite and is disadvantageous to the bulk of the population,” the pressure group said.
Instead, the state government should make use of the indigenous system of local governance found in the Khasi-Jaintia and Garo Hills, HITO suggested. These local headmen have worked hard with the government since the earliest days of the pandemic and should be empowered to keep a list of all those who have registered for a vaccine and those who have not or cannot.
On the issue of vaccine supply, a subject of great concern all across the country, HITO said that the CM should take a more assertive role in securing supplies for Meghalaya. It asked for disclosure on how many vaccines Meghalaya has ordered from suppliers other than the Serum Institute of India (which produces Covishield), what steps the government is taking to reduce wastage of vaccines and for an accounting of the ventilators that were provided by the central government and those that were not.
