Hyderabad: Techies step in to aid vaccination registration

Hyderabad: Techies took up social service to help those who are not tech-savvy or unaware of the vaccination slot-booking process. In groups, they have spread across cities and villages ,in association with NGOs and government departments, to enable persons in getting vaccination faster.

Explaining the need for the action, G Raghu, a techie-turned-philanthropist of Hyderabad said, "Covid-19 is wreaking havoc across the City. It is clear that vaccination is necessary to prevent ourselves from getting infected. But, as the registration and slot-booking process is confined to online, it has turned into a challenge for many since the demand is high. The main struggle is, some don't get appointments and don't know the process and face language barriers. We are trying to bridge the gap and help people from booking slots to getting vaccination certification. So far, we have helped around 1,500 elderly persons to get vaccination."

Similarly, a fintech start-up is helping tier-2 and tier-3 people to book an appointment through their mobile app. "We are a mini-startup, Bankit, having 498 operational agent-outlets in Hyderabad, providing banking and financial services. We have involved the same agents in this programme helping citizens to overcome technical barriers and get vaccinated without struggle. With only an objective to serve society when it is needed and have reached a million people since the pandemic . And still going," said Amit Nigam, COO, Bankit.

Another startup, PayNearby, has introduced a CoWIN registration module within its trade app. It will enable PayNearby Digital Pradhans to seamlessly assist local communities to register for vaccination.