Bengaluru: BBMP focuses on vaccinating destitutes

Bengaluru: Keeping in view the medical fraternity's caution that vaccination is the only weapon to beat coronavirus, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has appointed nodal officers to prioritise destitutes and frontline workers for inoculation.

The municipal corporation has been working with several government departments like Women and Child Welfare and Disability Welfare Board for the data collection.

Talking to The Hans India, nodal officer Dr Vaishnavi Kuppuswamy who is entrusted with the task of inoculating people from the unorganised sector, said, "Over 2,000 disabled were covered on May 26. There are 30,000 to 40,000 people who are at home and are scattered across the city. So to vaccinate them I have taken the help of NGOs in tracking them. For these scattered people I have asked for a mobile team but that will take some time. Some NGOs are helping us in the initiative. They have provided us with logistics and our team will have to go and vaccinate them."

The vaccination drive will continue for the next 15 days on a mission mode for the priority groups. The beneficiaries are being given Covishield.

The vaccination in the slum areas will start on May 29.

BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said that the civic body is also carrying out the vaccination drives for the frontline workers in line with the State government's initiative as the aim is to make vaccination inclusive. During an interview with the newspaper he had said that the spread of the virus in slums was always a concern even during the first wave and in the second wave because of the area and number of houses located in the slums. "We have taken up testing in most of the slums. We are continuing monitoring these areas," Gupta added.

Migrant workers from West Bengal and Bihar employed as construction workers were also vaccinated. As many as 3,000 workers more are on the list for vaccination."

"I have obtained a list of projects under the BBMP jurisdiction from CREDAI (Confederation of Real Estate Developers of India). The real estate developers are also being asked to organise camps. I have also requested some of the developers for help under CSR as I am looking at getting oxygen concentrators and revamping the PHCs," Kuppuswamy said.

When asked if the apartment security guards will also be considered for the vaccination, she stated that presently destitutes are on the priority list.

One of the major highlights of the vaccination of destitutes is that the BBMP is adopting a sympathetic attitude towards those who do not have an official identification card provided the beneficiaries should be available for the second dose.