Vaccine dose still a dream for in-mates of old age homes

The in-mates of old age home in Bengaluru have a tough ride for receiving the vaccination dose as most of them are bedridden or suffer from dementia. Various old age homes in the city have revealed to DH that none of the in-mates who are at a high transmission risk have been vaccinated, and it is an ardent task to arrange ambulance for every trip to the hospital.

This was the general issue with Navachaitanya old age home branches in Horamavy and Mysuru Road along with Sri Chaitanya home in JP Nagar. The director of Navachaitanya mentioned they were ready to pay according to the private facilities, but it is not permitted to come home and vaccinate.

Cheshire Homes in Old Airport Road and Whitefield were not interested in getting vaccine doses as the amount was Rs 250 per person and were also not able to get the government slots. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan while answering to state minister BC Patil’s vaccination at home in first week of March, iterated about it not being allowed in the protocol.

Sreedhar V, trustee, Santhavana Seva old age home, RR Nagar said to DH, “We have 47 residents aged between 60 and 96 years. Of which, 65% are women. We are waiting for someone from the government to make sure our residents get vaccinated. Due to financial reasons, we cannot take our residents to private hospitals and get vaccinated. At least, we need donors to come forward and support our residents with the Rs 250 they need for the vaccination.”

He added, “We have bedridden patients. We can get them vaccinated only if a camp is arranged here. We can’t take them to a hospital.”

The Kengeri-based Medicos Help, constitutes 15 residents above 80 years of age, and the senior most is 94 years old. Medicoshora Help co-founder Manoj Sreedharan said, “We only house terminally ill patients to whom we provide palliative care. They cannot be moved as they’re bedridden. But the government is vaccinating only those who can visit a hospital. I don’t know when our turn will come. Taking each of them in an ambulance is difficult. Most of their children live abroad or in other states.”

There are 50 elderly people residing in the Mysuru Road branch of Navachaitanya old age home and 90 are in Horamavu branch.

Manjula Shubhashri, director of home, revealed DH said, “We haven’t been getting any vaccination slot. We’ve enquired at many health facilities. We cannot take them far as they’re bedridden. We are ready to pay for the vaccination. But we’re not getting any healthcare provider who will come here and vaccinate. Their family members don’t take responsibility.”

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