When CoWin portal was announced, India thought everyone who can download the app can book their slot. In reality, slots can be bought, only for people with high-speed Internet, dedicated time in hand(hours/days/weeks) for slot booking, programming skills, or at least friends who are skilled. Needless to say, oodles of luck and divine blessings to get their byte on the vaccine slot!
The saddest truth is : Even after 4 months from launch, CoWin portal is not even Multi-Lingual. It's in English, a language that majority can't read even if they can access the portal. Hey What are you saying.? ArogyaSetu app is available in 12 Languages. True - but the CoWin section in the app is still in English. Truly Multi-Lingual in truest sense. 🙈
What changes can we do in the CoWin portal for a Co-WinWin scenario and realise TRULY #VaccineForAll
There is absolutely no doubt that CoWin portal is largely helpful for the vaccine ecosystem. It helps you book a slot(If you are lucky over 500M citizens) and gives you access to the digital certificate in few seconds of vaccination, and it's available for you for the lifetime in digital format. Brilliant!!!!
The current format is beautiful and extremely effective when the supply is in excess to demand and we have the luxury choose the location one wants to get vaccinated. But we are supply short by many hundred million doses.!!!
Is the current system of opening 100 slots for 10Lakh citizens of that surrounding locality? Citizens(Read as Netizens) literally feel like they are on a battle field to book a slot. There is absolutely no predictability of when and which centers slots will open. This is nothing but a bread crumb thrown at hundred rats who scramble for a life-saving byte!
How much is this a convenient/workable method for the 99.5% Non-IT or "Non-Tech Savvy" people in the country to book a slot.? People are using Browser plug-ins, extensions, python scripts, notifications and what not to book a slot. Are some of these words sounding alien to you.?? Sorry - You cannot even think of getting a slot in CoWin then.
How is it a workable solution for a person who is 50+ years old bureaucrat, 30 Year old mechanic, or even a 21 year old student.? I know someone who is 45+ and looking for a Covaxin second shot. Though he was in the higher ranks of his organisation, he does not have a clue on how to book his slot. He made multiple trips to nearby hospitals, and everywhere he is shown the door.
Probably, the folks who designed/built this system felt, for politicians and our citizens, beating the queue system runs in our blood. So, make it like a Hackathon to book a slot.
Vaccine slot booking system needs a re-haul or an alternate system in my opinion!! Below are my thoughts.
1. All citizens who are interested to take a vaccine can register. System issues a token and citizen added to the virtual queue(The whole country is used to this queue system for decades. Remember the queue system we had even waited for years applying a telephone connection. Hopefully the fulfilment for vaccine doesn't have to wait for years.).
2. The system can automatically assign the slot to the citizen based on the order of token issued(Can be clubbed with some factors like 2nd slot preference, co-morbides, growing hotspots, etc.) as and when new slots are available in the pincode/range.
3. There can be a fair system drawn out on the allocation of vaccines to all areas.
4. Citizen can reject a slot assigned for X number of times if not convenient and get reassigned a new token. System can auto reject if not accepted for a defined time limit and can immediately allocate the vacant slot to next one in queue.
This who system of token booking can be made available for citizens via multiple means like IVR, Whatsapp bots, websites, apps in multi-lingual form.
I still believe that the way to go at this moment and activate means of vaccination at all possible ways like vaccination at bus depots, public parks, PHCs, etc. I sincerely hope that we don't try and vaccinate people in hospital and instead do these drives in larger public spaces.
Why will the above work better than the current LUCKY DRAW?
1. To get vaccinated is the prime most important thing to do for any citizen in the country at this moment. So, If the citizens are given a heads up of 2-3 days before the vaccine date, they can plan for the same and avoid rejections/cancellations. For sure whatever scheduled work they have clashing with the system allotted slot can wait or re-scheduled.
2. Citizen can also get a fair idea of when he is likely to get based on some trends/data.
3. Most of the citizens in the country is home bound at this moment, and cancellations will be vastly less at this moment.
4. It will give us a clear indication of demand region/area-wise.
5. It can help streamline the supply chain.
6. Targeted campaigns can be held to those who haven't even registered.
I felt privileged when me and my dependent family could get vaccinated because of the employer drive. Many of my friends, relatives got their vaccines through such drives. But me as an employer for my domestic help, what am i doing.? The best at this moment I could do is try and book them a slot in near by centers. But, i have failed to do so in-spite of multiple near miss. There is hardly ~5-10 seconds slots are available for booking and by the time i call them to get OTP... JIFFFF!! Gone... I cant even use my number for OTP as i don't want their vaccine certificate linked to my number and there are only 4 members allowed to register in my login.
I truly believe there are crores of citizens who wants to vaccinate but spending valuable time in trying to book that slot and wondering what trick to book their slot.
#DigitalIndia #CoWin #India #CSCEGovernance #CommonServicesCenters
