Up on the hills, vaccines go begging

Empty PHC presents a stark contrast to situation on the plains

While people at Uppiliyapuram Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) on the foothills of Pachamalai wait for days to get a jab of the COVID-19 vaccination, the empty PHC at Top Sengaattupatti on the hills presents a picture in stark contrast. Health workers are having a tough time due to vaccination hesitancy among tribal people. In March, officials at Top Sengatupatti Additional PHC, attached to the Uppiliyapuram PHC, began setting up COVID-19 vaccination camps to vaccinate 4,016 people who reside in 16 villages attached to Tiruchi district. In the four-month-period, they have been able to vaccinate only about 1,000 people of whom a majority were required to get the shot as per norms at their workplace. Those who work in agricultural lands in the villages ran and hid in the forests on learning about the visit of a medical team to vaccinate them. “We are all hale and healthy. A staff nurse at the PHC herself fell ill for a week when she took the vaccine. We will not be able to work and when we do not work, we do not get paid. For us, ensuring food to eat every day is the priority,” said R. Jyothi, an agricultural labourer.