Hyderabad: Citizens to get free ride for vaccination

Hyderabad: With ongoing second strain of Covid-19 and imposed lockdown vaccine beneficiaries find it difficult to come out of their homes to take vaccine, adding on to the difficulties is that there is no transportation available. Observing such difficulties a city-based NGO Sakina Foundation launched 50 mobile vaccination vans in all the zones of the city and the other district of Telangana. The vans would take people for free.

'Vaccination on Wheels', an initiative by the NGO for the needy, senior citizens, homeless people and roadside hawkers already started a few weeks ago. "The drive started a few days back, and by now many patients have already availed the facility. For a week, the government stopped the vaccine and again resumed on Tuesday, the initiative has been resumed and the mobile vaccination vans started taking needy patients to take the jab in vaccination centres for free," said Asif Hussain Sohail of Sakina Foundation.

By this initiative we want to reach the maximum number of people who can avail this facility of free transportation for vaccination. More than 50 mobile vaccination vans are located in the city and also the other districts. Over 100 volunteers are involved to make this initiative successful," he added.

Meanwhile, the volunteers also started door-to-door vaccine campaigning and are verifying and administering the second dose of the vaccination at government and private centres according to the availability of vaccines. "During the door-to-door campaign the volunteers with the help of area or a colony welfare association and basti committees are listing area wise senior citizens and needy to take for the vaccination," added Asif Sohail.

The identity proofs of people are being collected through the helpline and registration is done at nearby government and private vaccination centres. After the registration process is completed, people will be taken to the vaccination centre, which assigned, with this facility they do not have to face difficulties in transportation and also wait in long queues."

The foundation is receiving several calls from senior citizens who reside alone to help them with the vaccinations. Our sole purpose is to safeguard the lives of senior citizens, homeless and vulnerable people who are finding it difficult to administer the vaccine during the lockdown.