Cops escort senior citizens to police hospital for jabs

Nagpur: Ramchandraji Dhote (80) and his wife Manda (70) would have never got vaccinated against Covid if the city police had not turned saviour for them under a new initiative to get the elderly vaccinated.
Dhote couple not only got the first dose of Covishield but also pick-up and drop from its Durga Nagar residence to police hospital at Takli. They were also greeted with a rose and a bottle of sanitizer. Their eyes welled up in gratitude.
City police chief Amitesh Kumar aims at getting 5,785 senior citizens, including 212 living alone, enrolled as members in the special cell of the city police inoculated. “The drive shall continue and cover other elderly people needing our help. We are already extending various assistance to our senior citizen cell members round the clock,” he said.
Manda, expressing her gratitude to cops, said her life was all about hardship. “We cannot even pay our rent during the lockdown as our son is the sole breadearner who doesn’t get much work now. When the landlord tries to evict us, it’s the police who help us get extension,” she said after receiving her first dose under the supervision of Chief medical officer of the police hospital Dr Sandeep Shinde.
Twenty-two elderly people like Ramchandraji and Manda took the jab on the first day of the drive being conducted by Nagpur city police’s family counselling unit ‘Bharosa cell’ and ‘senior citizen cell’ on Wednesday. NMC also assisted city police undertake the drive that was co-ordinated and managed by API Rekha Sankhpal of Bharosa cell. “If any senior citizen is hassled with the vaccine issue, they may contact us on 1091,” she said.
Manda added she could not have imagined getting vaccine without assistance from the police. “Our only son leaves home early to look for work and comes back late in the night. If we ask him to take us for vaccination, it would mean no income for us that day. We are a hand-to-mouth family and cannot afford to lose even a day’s income,” said Manda who had migrated with husband to Nagpur three decades ago from a remote village in Yavatmal to work as labourers.
Manda, more articulate than her husband, said they cannot even afford any treatment, not just vaccine. “A doctor in the vicinity gives me some tablets and capsules without charging anything just as our son,” she said. Manda was elated and also surprised when a cop, who stayed in the vicinity, asked her whether she was keen to take the jab.
Former government employee 85-year-old Sudhir Tupkar, who also contributed as freelance journalist, said he was not keen initially after having suffered Covid-19 but later decided to receive the vaccine as the cops approached him.
Sukhdev Nagmote, another retired government employee and secretary to a minister, said he too was approached by the police with lot of courtesy that triggered an interest in him.
Police constable Sonam Uke said the senior citizens were being requested to come along assuring them of being taken care of and also being helped with pick-up and drop service. “We told them there would be no hassle of registration and queue,” she said.