Bengaluru: Commemorating Pride Month this year, Manipal Hospitals launches their first Sputnik V commercial vaccination drive on 29th June. This pride month, Manipal Hospitals takes a stance against the discriminatory practices against the LGBTQ community. From the 29th June till 3rd July, 2021, Manipal Hospitals will be providing exclusive vaccination slots for the transgender community at Manipal Hospitals Old Airport Road. Slots for Sputnik-V, Covaxin and Covishield will be provided at a cost of rupees 1145/- ,1410/-,780/- respectively. A formidable team of Manipal Hospitals frontline workers will be present to ensure a seamless vaccination process for the transgender community.
Many members of the LGBTQ community are already suffering from HIV, sex-reassignment complications, placing them at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 or being carriers. It has been often noticed that India’s transgender community get neglected from the nationwide vaccination drives. Many have raised complaints against the rampant transphobia in the healthcare sector.
“As citizens of the country and above all, as humanitarians, we need to realize that we are combating this pandemic together. We, at Manipal Hospitals, firmly believe that an essential commodity, such as vaccine, shouldn’t be denied to anyone based on race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. Hence, this Pride Month, we have launched a vaccination drive especially for the transgender community,” remarks Mr. KarthikRajagopal, COO, Manipal Health Enterprises Pvt Ltd. This Pride Month, Manipal Hospitals launches a vaccination drive exclusively for the transgender community as apart of their #Vax4ALL campaign.
According to the data available on the CoWIN portal till May 30, 2021, only 25,468 transgender people had been vaccinated against COVID-19 in the country as against 8,80,47,053 men and 7,67,64,479 women. Through the vaccination drive, Manipal Hospitals initiates a step towards a better tomorrow for the people in the city without any divide.
