Dear Rotary Leaders
Mission Impossible?
That’s what many people thought when Rotary entered into a partnership with the Government to ramp up the vaccination drive against Covid. The hubris among the Doubting Thomases was laid bare when District Governors in India engaged the clubs in the vaccination programme. The pace picked up and the average rate of daily Covid vaccinations increased in several major States. Till August 22, 2021, as per the news reported in national newspapers, 13.7% of the country’s adult population was fully vaccinated, while 47.8% had received at least one dose. It is estimated that to vaccinate all adults by December 31, 2021, 9.8 million doses need to be administered daily on average from now on. The Ministry of Health has published that 58.26 crores of people have been vaccinated as on August 23, 2021, but reports have appeared that 3.9 crore people, who must have taken the second shot, have not yet taken the jab.
The Covid numbers may be coming down in many States, but a lag in vaccination helps nobody’s cause. People are vulnerable and Rotary clubs must be proactive in arranging vaccination so that people retain their protective cover. Tamil Nadu Government has launched a 24×7 vaccination facility in all Government hospitals. Similar programmes can be implemented in other States and Rotarians can request the Governments to permit such facilities in all hospitals. “I do not have time” should not be an excuse for people now.
You can always tell a lazy person by his mendacity and desire to procrastinate. The temptation will be to wait and watch until the virus stops spreading, but this is not going to happen any time soon and the only way to stay alive and healthy is to get vaccinated.
I must also caution Rotarians not to let the guard down on Polio vaccination since refugees and others are returning from Afghanistan which is a polio endemic country.
The great strength of Rotary, which is a liberal democracy, is its capacity for course-correction. Institutional scrutiny and oversight of the public welfare programmes of the Government will ensure the progress of Rotary as the most sought-after service organisation in the country. This means that the clubs must be strong with committed members and are not hollowed from within.
District Leaders must not alter any data to present the best picture possible to the clubs, but ensure that the club leaders are well trained. Do not declare premature victory over the pandemic. To be ambitious is a national good, but to be blinkered is dangerous. Looking facts in the face and working out strategies with the Government in promoting the vaccination drive is our mission. This mission will not and should not go unaccomplished.
