Oil ministry wants Covid-19 vaccination for employees at forefront

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has recommended vaccinating frontline workers in the oil sector on priority against the COVID-19 virus. According to officials in the know, the Oil Ministry has forwarded a request from oil companies and associations to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).  

Employees at petrol pumps, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG or cooking gas) dealerships, and oil and gas exploration companies were working throughout the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. The ministry said these frontline workers had braved the intense first wave of the pandemic and ensured uninterrupted fuel supplies to the country. They were also lauded as Corona Warriors and Union Ministers had recognised their efforts. But these oil sector frontline workers have not been included in the priority list for vaccinations till now. The vaccination drive has so far included medical personnel, frontline workers like police staff, patients with comorbidities above 45, and everyone above 60.

“This has demoralised staffers who feel that they should also be vaccinated with other Corona Warriors. A larger number of our employees that are below 45 and currently out of the vaccination eligibility criteria. Those who are in direct contact with consumers such as the petrol pump attendants that collect money and dispense fuel should be vaccinated,” a petrol pump dealer told Business Standard.

Ajay Bansal, President of the All India Petroleum Dealers Association, said they had demanded inclusion of pump attendants in the COVID-19 vaccine priority list.

“They were declared essential workers and had performed their duties during Covid-19 lockdowns, but were not considered eligible to get the vaccine jab. The government – either through oil marketing companies or some other mechanism – should bear the cost of vaccinating petrol pump workers,” Bansal said.

He estimates that there were around 700,000 petrol pump workers that need to be administered COVID-19 vaccines.

“It is noteworthy that our delivery men carry full cylinders on their shoulders while making delivery to the households and bringing back empties, multiple times in a single day and are therefore vulnerable and prone to catching the infection easily,” the All India LPG Distributors Federation wrote in a letter to Petroleum Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan.

The federation sought inclusion of staff of LPG distributors in the priority list of vaccination as they are equally exposed to COVID-19. “However, priority may be given to the staff of distributors of such areas where the infection is still at peak,” the letter said.

The request to include frontline workers such as pump attendants in the priority list has also been made by three public sector undertaking (PSU) oil marketing companies namely Indian Oil, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum. 

ONGC has also asked that its workers on oil installations be given priority since it is not possible for them to maintain social distancing during their work.  

These PSUs are also facilitating the vaccination of their current and former employees. According to ONGC officials, COVID-19 vaccinations are going on as per government permission at the ONGC Hospital in Dehradun. “We are facilitating vaccinations for all the retired employees (who are invariably above 60 years of age) and serving employees with co-morbidities are being assisted by the company,” an ONGC official said.

“The company is offering help to those employees who are not comfortable using mobile apps for booking slots for vaccination and coordinating with hospitals for smooth administration of the vaccine,” the official added.