‘Incompetent receptionist’
I was vaccinated on April 12 and May 10. I am 65 and older, with health conditions. So I made an appointment for a booster shot.
I scheduled my booster shot via the Vaccine Administration Management System portal managed by the CDC online. I live in Hilo and had both my shots at the Hilo Medical Center.
The VAMS portal informed me that the earliest available appointment date for my booster shot was Nov. 8. So I made my appointment for HMC at 9:30 a.m. Nov. 8.
Upon arrival, I handed my paper work to a receptionist at the front desk. She took one look at my paper work and promptly turned me away, saying that she could not let me in because I was two days too early.
I was flabbergasted and didn’t know what to say. So I politely thanked her and left. I went home and made another appointment on the VAMS portal and again the website told me my earliest appointment available was Nov. 8.
Apparently, HMC is using staff that is incompetent, and she did not know about the guideline.
There are long months and short months in a calendar year. Some months like Februarys have 28 or 29 days. Long months like May, July, August and October have 31 days. The guideline is a 180-day waiting period, which for a May 10 last shot day would have been Nov. 6. The next business day available for the booster shot would have been Nov. 8. However, this poorly trained and incompetent receptionist simply looked at the calendar date and failed to understand the idea behind the 180-day waiting period.
This was not the first time she was turning away customers at the HMC vaccination site. I observed her behavior during my first shot back in April 2021. She was flustered and rude, and she was not checking in any customers the entire time I was standing in line. Instead, she was yelling at them.
Her coworker was doing all the work. I am wondering if she actually had an agenda to sabotage the vaccination process while we are trying to be good citizens and get ourselves and our loved ones protected.
Hansen Tsang
Hilo
Remove protesters
There is no possibility for the Thirty Meter Telescope to be built on the Maunakea summit for at least five more years. It will take that long before the project receives enough funding to start construction on the mountain, or elsewhere.
If that is the case, there is no need to allow squatters to continue to live on Saddle Road. Their tents, “post office,” vehicles, and other eyesores must be removed to allow the land to heal and return to its natural state.
No telescope for many years? No need for anti-TMT protesters to live rent free, illegally, on public land. Time for them to go home (if they have any).
There should not be threats any more (active or not) to block the access road to the summit.
It is up to the city or county governments to remove them, finally.
Hopefully this can be done before the new year begins.
David Lewis
Kurtistown