SRINAGAR: At a time when the administration is bracing up to fight another wave of Covid, people in Srinagar are complaining of malfunctions in the CoWIN app, which is the only means to register for vaccination as well as to receive the certificate of vaccination.

Jawahira, who was due to get the second shot of the vaccine in the last week of August, was not alerted on time by the CoWIN app, she says. When she went a week late to get the vaccine shot at a nearby dispensary, her details were not shown on the CoWIN app.

“I was told that my details do not open on the app,” Jawahira told Kashmir Reader. “I was made to wait. But after half an hour, I was told to bring an election identity card, even though they should give it on the Aadhar card. I was given a vaccine, but it remains unrecorded on the app.”

Now Jawahira is without the certificate of having received both the doses of the vaccine, which is necessary for hassle-free travel and access to many places. It also created an issue when a group of medicos, on a vaccine drive, attempted to give her a third shot.

“They did not listen, and asked for proof. I had none. But I resisted and did not allow it to happen. It could have been dangerous,” she said.

Similar is the story of Arsllan, a 20-year old, who was given at his school the second jab of the vaccine before it was due. He still did not receive the certificate of both doses of the vaccine.

“At school, despite my insistence, I was given the second dose. But now when I have been given the second dose, I am yet to receive the certificate. I don’t know how to prove it when I am asked to show the certificate. The authorities at school have shown cold shoulders to my problem,” he said.

Director of General Health, Family Welfare and Immunisation, Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman told Kashmir Reader that these issues can happen as the number of daily vaccinations has quadrupled in Srinagar.

“Please send me the details, I will look into it. I will speak to the CMO about it, too. In case there is a discrepancy, I will make sure to resolve the glitch,” he said.

Junaid Nabi Bazaz