Nagpur Municipal Corp reaches out to transgenders, destitute and beggars for Covid jab

The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), that plans to push Covid immunisation through a door-to-door campaign, has reached out to around 1,500 low-income people who lack identification.

“These were beggars, destitute, transgenders and religious monks who do not have any identification papers but needed to be vaccinated,” said officials.

Deputy NMC commissioner Ram Joshi said it can happen through special camps — a facility available in the Co-Win app itself.

Dr Gowardhan Nawghare, immunization officer of the NMC, said, “Inmates in jails and mental hospitals have been covered under such drives apart from those living in destitute like the missionaries of charity’s shelter at Katol Road.” Vaccination of transgenders was done through NGO Sarthi trust. Another NGO Beti Bachao also took part in the drive. The homeless found near Cotton Market have also been vaccinated in a similar manner.

“If a person does not have any document as ID proof, there is a special provision in the Co-Win app. Such persons’ names can be registered against the credentials of any other person who refers them. Even a single ID proof is enough with which an entire group can be vaccinated on the basis of a single ID document,” said Nawghare. Even the NMC officials are providing their ID documents for the purpose, added an official.

The NMC has taken up the cases through NGOs.However, such persons would also be covered the door-to-door campaign planned by the civic body,” said Nawghare.Elderly who do not have any papers or even the underprivileged can be covered under the door-to-door drive.Such persons are expected to be working in shops or taking up similar callings in the unorganized sector.