Senior citizens will benefit from 'near to home' vaccination centers: Rattan Lal Kataria

New Delhi [India], May 28 (ANI): Welcoming Health Ministry guidelines for providing 'near to home' vaccination centers to senior citizens and divyangjan, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Rattan Lal Kataria has said that the move shall benefit around 14 crore senior citizens and 2.2 crore persons with disabilities in the country.
The Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry had earlier flagged the problems being faced by persons with disabilities in testing, treatment and vaccination to the Health Ministry.
An advisory was also issued for senior citizens regarding COVID appropriate behavior on April 27 by the ministry in consultation with the Geriatric Department of AIIMS, Delhi.
According to an official release, Kataria said Modi government is sensitive to the needs of people and is working relentlessly to provide immediate relief amidst the ongoing pandemic.
The release said the Social Justice and Empowerment ministry has also launched a helpline number for providing psychological support to people belonging to transgender community. Counseling through expert psychologists is available for transgenders (TGs) who are facing extreme stress owing to highly uncertain and evolving circumstances.
The Ministry has also announced a one-time subsistence allowance of Rs 1500 for transgender persons who are adversely affected by the lockdown restrictions imposed by state governments. The financial assistance, as an interim relief measure, was also extended last year when 7000 people from TG community benefitted.
The ministry has urged all state governments to spread awareness amongst transgender community in vernacular languages regarding the COVID vaccination programme and to organize separate camps as well as mobile booths for vaccinating the TG community.
Kataria said the government has so far administered 20.27 crore vaccine doses within 130 days. (ANI)