Telangana Health Minister Etala Rajender has said that a Covid-19 vaccination drive for disabled persons in the state will be conducted in March.
Deputy Chairman of the state's Planning Commission, former MP B Vinod Kumar, made the announcement regarding the decision today.
The decision was reportedly taken after National Disabled Forum head Kolli Nageshwar Rao and state president J Parashuram met with Kumar at his residence in Banjara Hills where they submitted a memorandum urging the government to conduct the vaccination drive for the disabled persons in the state.
Following the meeting, Kumar reportedly spoke to Health Minister Etala Rajender regarding the matter. The minister then agreed to conduct the vaccination drive in March.
Explaining why the immunisation program would be held only next month, Kumar said that the state's officials were currently occupied with the second round of vaccinations for Telangana's health workers, and would be able to conduct the immunisation program for the disabled in a more efficient manner after the conclusion of the ongoing drive.
(The
second phase of the Covid-19 inoculation drive in Telangana was started on February 13, in about 140 centres across the state, and will reportedly conclude on February 25.)
Earlier in the month, about 30 organisations working for disability rights wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, appealing to them to treat disabled persons as a priority group in the nation-wide Covid-19 vaccination drive.