Dear Editor,
I had a very good experience at the GPHC COVID-19 vaccine site. It was so good that I didn’t even feel the vaccine jab. Maybe it is time I take up boxing, but now that everyone has confirmation of my age, I will nix that thought for now. I proceed, however, to share with the public the details of this most warming vaccine visit.
I arrived at the clearly marked “COVID-19 Vaccination Site” at the Lamaha Street entrance, midway between Thomas and East Streets at 07:21hrs yesterday. At 07:22hrs I was seated, with three (it turned out to be four, as an earlier arrival went to look for his nurse offspring) citizens ahead of me. By 08:00hrs, there was close to a score or more eligible Guyanese waiting for their shot. I did not see any ‘old young’ or ‘force ripe’, to use Guyanese idiom, trying to get an early jump on a vaccine. At 08:40hrs, I was waiting to leave, all delivered and done. In between, there was a 7-minute registration process; an information chat at the timely hour of 07:50hrs from another nurse about expectations and precautions; and a less than 30-second interaction at 08:40hrs with the nurse responsible for administering the actual shot. Like I said, neither a ping nor a sting; it was zing, and I was out of there, with the recommended 15-minute wait for observation purposes. Also, another official, who seems to be in a more senior and coordinating capacity was there to reassure any anxious citizens-all over 60, according to my observation-that the first in, next up, standard would be the order of the day.
Editor, citizens were largely well behaved. It was nothing less than what I expected, since all these folks were older than me, and would have had the same upbringing as I have had: respect, regard for rules, and courtesies. There was a little disarray, but no one really tried very spiritedly to get ahead of the curve; that is, jump the line. I should mention that, from time to time, various very young men, mainly on bicycles, would pass by the tented area (now over 25 strong), without the mandatory uniform fixture of a face mask on, or anywhere in sight. I did not recognize them as being GPHC staff members. I also noticed a nurse rushing along in the GPHC complex with a very young baby in a car seat in tow; that was rather risky, reports and vectors and all that business duly considered.
I would like to extend a word of thanks to the staff at the GPHC-the guards, the nurses, the senior coordinators-for the many courtesies that were experienced by all of us who were present on Monday morning. It was well arranged, well managed, and well delivered. And just to show I am not partisan, that word of appreciation goes all the way to the hospital’s administrators and the Minister of Health. It was nicely done, folks.
Sincerely,
GHK Lall
