Two-stage registration a must for expatriate workers to get vaccine

Expatriate workers will have to go through a two-stage registration process to get the vaccine, the health department, said Directorate General of Health Services on Thursday.

“Expatriate workers must register with the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) if they want to be vaccinated and then they have to come up with the vaccine programme.  The BMET has created an app for expatriate workers. Immigrants will be able to register from the BMET office in each district along with the app. When that list comes to DGHS then we will complete the next verification and selection process,” said member secretary of National Covid-19 Vaccine Plan Dr. Shamsul Haque at a virtual briefing.

He further said, “After registering with the BMET, migrant workers must register with ‘Surokkha app’ to get the vaccine. It will not be possible to give the vaccine if anyone goes to the center without the vaccine card obtained from ‘Surokkha app.’

The offices of BMET of each district will remain open in next two days (Friday and Saturday). It will also be open on other days of the week.

Expatriate workers have to go there or register through the app, said Dr Shamsul Haque.

“We have already received a list of 2 lakh migrant workers,” he added.

“That list will be verified by Sunday. SMS will send from Monday night after verification and they will be able to get vaccinated from Tuesday. Due to the lack of this information, many people have been harassed by going to the center today,” said Shamsul Haque.

In response to a question, Shamsul Haque said that a decision will be taken about the immunization programme for expatriate students when Modern vaccine is available.

“We only have a list of group who will go to China,” he added.