Following Ministry of Health delivery of jabs in various upcountry vaccination centres, police was deployed to calm the situation after locals outstripped Covid-19 supplied doses
Police personnel were on Monday morning deployed at Lira Regional Referral Hospital vaccination centre to control the rowdy crowd, who were struggling to be vaccinated with the few doses of the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine.
Lira City received 1,500 doses of the vaccine, which were shared among the five vaccination sites in the city. The centres include Lira Regional Referral Hospital, Lira University Teaching Hospital, Ober Health Centre III, Boroboro Health Centre III, and Lira Pentecostal Church.
In Lira Regional Referral Hospital vaccination centre located at Akii-bua stadium playground, by 7am, more than 500 people had already jammed the place waiting to receive their second jabs.
Police had to intervene as the health workers were overwhelmed, and the majority were not observing the standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Dr Jimmy Ssewanyana, the officer-in-charge of Lira Regional Referral Hospital Covid-19 vaccination centre, said they started the exercise for the second dose on Monday with 300 doses, although more than 500 people turned up and they were struggling for the few doses.
Dr Ssewanyana said due to the limited doses, they are prioritising those going seeking the second doses, including teachers and health workers in accordance to the Ministry of Health guidelines.
Last week, local leaders in Lira District expressed dissatisfaction over the few doses of AstraZeneca vaccines allocated to them.
The National Medical Stores (NMS) delivered only 3,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, which was shared by the whole district. However, the district leaders said they had requested for 11,000 doses.
Lira City Council Mayor Sam Atul said he had forewarned that because of the few vaccines available, there would be chaos at the vaccination centres as everybody would want to be vaccinated.
“We are going to be in trouble because we have already informed our people that there are vaccines. So, they will be rushing and fighting to get vaccinated, but they will not be able to get the jabs,” Mr Atul said.