The current strike embarked by the Taraba State chapter of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) and thereafter by the entire public servants in the State has no doubt prevented the state government from meeting its target of vaccinating 50,000 persons against the COVID-19 pandemic.
However suspended, the strike did not only disable both public and private activities, made it impossible for some of the health workers to carry out the vaccination activities in some councils.
Admitting that the strike hindered the exercise, the deputy governor, Engineer Haruna Manu had warned striking workers who were then going about disrupting the exercise, to cease or be compelled to face the wrath of the law.
The leadership of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency (TSPHCDA), in one of its review meetings, also agreed that the said strike earlier embarked on by workers, hindered the success of the vaccination exercise, as some of the stores where the vaccines were kept were said to have been boycotted by the then striking workers.
In a chat with media practitioners in Jalingo, the Executive Secretary of TSPHCDA, Alhaji Aminu Hassan Jauro agreed that since the commencement of the exercise, only “23,000 residents have so far been vaccinated.”
Though the state, according to him, has received additional doses of the vaccines from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, in addition to the 56,250 doses earlier received, the agency cannot commence the second phase.
“The factor for the second phase”, he said “is the completion of the first batch of the vaccination and also for people that have been able to access the first jab.”
He, however, expressed dismay over the indifferent attitude of some residents who, according to him, have refused to observe the non-pharmaceutical measures against COVID-19.
Ada Peter
