Published 8 March, 2021
Basseterre
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
Source: LOOP NEWS
As Saint Lucia’s COVID-19 vaccination drive continues, chaotic scenes have been reported in vaccination centers in the north of the island.
Some citizens who spoke to Loop News Friday fear that the vaccination centres may become ‘super spreader’ venues, where one person infected with the COVID-19 transmits it to several other people.
According to one woman who spoke to Loop News on condition of anonymity, she took her mom to the Babonneau Wellness Centre to get vaccinated, and despite being registered to get the jab, she was told patients would be seen on a first-come, first-serve basis.
“There was crowding due to inadequate seating arrangements and it almost seemed like a battleground.
There were no provisions made for the senior citizens and those who suffer with underlying conditions, they were not a priority,” the woman said.
Another who got vaccinated at the Gros Islet Human Resource Centre says she was on site at about 7 am.
She described the venue as very disorganized.
“Nobody was there to direct you where to sit, where to enter, so people was just going back and forth. I’m hoping the Ministry of Health will do a better job the second time around,” the woman said.
Ginnie Morgan-Raphael, the Public Health Nursing Supervisor for region one, which includes Gros Islet, Monchy, and Grande Riviere says the start time to inoculate patients was 9 am, however, persons were at the site from 6 am and provisions were made for the elderly and vulnerable people.
“My staff was asked to be here for eight so we could have done the debriefing before we commenced.
We had already organised our setting, we knew where we would have placed all our elderly clients and the section for those who were able to move around without assistance, so there were sections identified for the elderly, as well as the able individuals,” Nurse Morgan-Raphael told Loop News.
Despite that, the Health Offical says the turnout was more than what they expected, having vaccinated over 500 patients at that site only.
“We still have some individuals who are hesitant, including some of our very own, but with the numbers that we saw today, we’re happy to see the amount of people who came out for the vaccine.”
As the vaccination drive continues tomorrow, persons are asked to walk with some light refreshments as the wait could be long.
