• People had started lining up outside the Hospital since yesterday morning
• The government  was yet to secure 600,000 doses of the vaccines which they required for the second roll- out programme
• Some of the doctors have been administering the doses only on friends,  relatives and families and even to their domestic helpers 

By Jamila Husain  

A tense situation has broken out outside the Lady Ridgeway Hospital in Maradana yesterday where over 3,000 people gathered, demanding the second doses of the AstraZeneca vaccinations.  

People had started lining up outside the Hospital since yesterday morning as Whatsapp messages circulated that jabs were being administered inside the Hospital, only for the staff and selected people.  

Several people rushed to the area and began demanding the vaccines, breaching all health protocols as no social distancing was maintained.   

Public frustration over not receiving the second doses of  theAstraZeneca vaccine was seen clearly growing as the government  was yet to secure 600,000 doses of the vaccines which they required for the second roll- out programme.   

In recent days, there has been increasing allegations that some of the doctors have been administering the doses only on friends, relatives and families and even to their domestic helpers which has resulted in the Public Health Inspectors pulling out of their official duties in disgust.   

There are also allegations that those with influence and connections have been able to receive the jabs, clearly breaching the protocol which the Health Ministry was required to follow on administering the jabs according to the dates of the first doses.