Agnes Quadros, an 85-year-old resident of Bethany Convent’s Mother Martha Memorial Senior Citizens Home in Attavar in Mangaluru, found it difficult to go to the nearby government health centre as she has difficulty walking.
On Thursday, she came down from her room using a walker and headed to a designated place in the home to take the Covaxin vaccine against COVID-19.
Amy Correa, 83, and Irene Cuvello, 73, who stay near the home, also took the jab.
The trio were among 40 senior citizens to take the jab at the home as part of a drive by the district administration to vaccinate elderly persons and bedridden people at their doorstep. Seven elderly persons, including a couple who are bedridden, with dementia staying in Susheg Jivith Care Centre, also in Attavar, and 13 other elderly residents in that locality received the jab at the care centre.
The district administration commenced the drive on Thursday in association with the Indian Red Cross Society, Rotary Club of Mangaluru and Bank of Baroda.
Indian Red Cross Society Secretary S.A. Prabhakar Sharma said the portal of the district administration has received more than 1,500 requests for vaccination at the doorstep. “We are classifying them based on location, and are organising camps at a location that is close to these people,” he said.
Health workers of the urban primary health centres concerned are using a van to take the vaccine to beneficiaries, he added.
Of the 22 residents of the home, 20 came forward to take the jab. Sister Sangeeta, administrator of the home, said swabs of all residents were recently taken to test for COVID-19. The vaccination process started at 10 a.m. and ended at 11.30 a.m.
Vaccination at the Susheg Jivith Care Centre started at noon. Lavina M. Noronha, a trustee of Susheg Charitable Trust, said all the seven residents reported negative for COVID-19. Care was taken to calm down anxious recipients before the vaccination.
Deputy Commissioner K.V. Rajendra and MLA D. Vedavyas Kamath, who visited the home, said steps are being taken to strengthen the door-to-door vaccination drive. Mayor Premanand Shetty and councillors Jecintha Vijaya Alfred, Divakar and Shailesh Shetty were present.
