Homeless, poor are left behind in Covid vaccination drive due to lack of identity proof

PUNE The most vulnerable and deprived sections like inmates of mental hospitals, beggars and the homeless are finding it difficult to get the Covid vaccine as they don’t have document to proof identity

PUNE The most vulnerable and deprived sections like inmates of mental hospitals, beggars and the homeless are finding it difficult to get the Covid vaccine as they don’t have document to proof identity.

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Currently, to avail of the vaccination, it is mandatory to furnish any one document as proof of identity like Aadhar card, PAN card, voter ID, driving license, service identity card, MGNREGA job card (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), passport, smart card, pension identity card, bank or post office passbook or health insurance smart card at the vaccination points.

Dr Abhijit Sonawane, president, Doctors for Beggars Organisation, said “At least 85 per cent of the beggars in the district do not possess a birth registration certificate or any other identity proof. This category of persons needs to be vaccinated without any documentary proof so that herd immunity can be developed amongst them.”

According to officials at Yerawada Mental Hospital, there are many as 375 inmates who don’t have any documentary proof as they were admitted by their parents or relatives long ago. The hospital authorities have written to the state immunisation department to bring them under the vaccination drive at the earliest and have extended all the necessary assistance in the said context.

Shailesh Korde, a homeless who resides on the footpath in Juna Bazar, said “ I don’t know anything about vaccination and who is giving the medicine. I am sure that we won’t be getting the vaccination.”

Mukta Pardeshi, a social worker, said, “Such vulnerable people must be vaccinated as it is their fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution.”

The state government has sought guidelines from the Centre regarding vaccination for the deprived section.

Dilip Patil, state immunisation officer, said, “We have asked the Centre about guidelines for the same.”