KOLKATA: There is a growing demand among doctors and other healthcare workers (HCWs), especially in the government sector, for priority vaccination of their eligible family members and dependents.
While most family members above 45 years have got the jab, those belonging to the 18-44 age group are not on the priority list of the government and need to pay to get vaccinated.
“When a HCW goes back home from the hospital there is a chance of them carrying the virus, putting the family members at risk.
Hence all eligible dependents of HCWs should be vaccinated on priority basis,” said surgery professor Manas Gumta, general secretary of Association of Health Service Doctors (AHSD), West Bengal.
Organisations like AHSD and West Bengal Doctors’ Forum (WBDF) have already approached the health officials for including family members and dependents of HCWs in the priority list.
Even as doctor organisations like Protect the Warrior have arranged few camps to vaccinate such family members, these are paid inoculation after tying up with private hospitals.
“I see a number of patients with symptoms of the infection.
I would have felt much at ease back home if my family members too were vaccinated,” said Purulia Medical College ENT head Atish Haldar.
“It is high time the government should include eligible family members of healthcare workers in the 18-44 bracket,” said Punyabrata Gun, convenor WBDF..