Shopkeepers, Bank & Postal personnel can also be frontline warriors

Focus Canara

The state government is planning to add some groups including teachers as ‘frontline workers,’ for Covid vaccination. While it is a welcome move, the government can also think of a few more as ‘frontline workers’ or as priority groups.

Due to the shortage of Covid vaccine, the state government is at present concentrating on the second dose and also vaccinating the health and frontline workers.

While many people have the option of work from home, several sectors which play a crucial role in the functioning of the system and ensure it works uninterrupted do not have this facility. While interacting with the people, we have noticed that there is a demand to add these groups to the priority list.

Banking is the lifeline of an economy. But the bank employees are severely hit by the COVID pandemic. Recently all the employees of a Nationalised Bank branch at a Taluk Headquarters in Dakshina Kannada were found positive and the bank had to depute staff from a nearby branch.

While most of the customers are into online banking, there is still a need for skeletal staff at every branch. These staffs are vulnerable to Covid. They are the people who play an active role in the economy of the country.

The postal department is another such group that serves India even in the rural areas. While those in apartments and towers may not understand their role, the Post offices are still the most frequented office in villages as it also plays the role of banking. Apart from sending posts, people deposit money, transfer money and withdraw their pension money from Post offices. Due to lockdown people who are unable to go to the distant banks depend on the post offices for withdrawing their money (deposited in the Nationalised bank).

Usually, the post offices, in the rural areas, are in small rooms. When the Covid is spreading at a greater speed in rural areas the post office staff are always at risk.

At a juncture when going out is difficult due to Covid and lockdown, shops, especially the grocery stores ensure the food chain is uninterrupted. While we may not go out fearing Covid, the grocery shop owners are at risk daily as hundreds of people frequent the shops.

The government can also think of including Medial Shop owners and staff as health workers. There are still many who go to medical shops for self-treatment or to get essential medicine.

While vaccinating every citizen is important and the country cannot be safe until the last person is vaccinated, the government can consider these sectors as priority groups for vaccination.