CEO of Serum Institute of India, Adar Poonawalla, on Monday stepped forward to extend support to the transgender community in India. The SII founder extending suppport to the community said, "I have always believed that healthcare and dignity should be fundamental human rights."
Sharing a picture of him with renowned transgender activist Laxmi Narayan Tripathi and another transgender while getting the shot of covid-19 vaccine, he wrote, "I have always believed that healthcare and dignity should be fundamental human rights. I look forward to collaborate with @ImLaxmiNarayan in providing equal opportunities to the transgender community in India."
Adar Poonawalla's Serrum Institue of India based in Pune is the institue which has been producing Covishield in collaboration with Oxford University.
Laxmi Narayan Tripathi is one of the known transgender activist who has been struggling for years for the betterment and development of the community and its members.
Notably, there have been many vaccination centers opened across in many parts of India for the transgender community. However, according to government data, around 25,000 transgender persons have only been vaccinated against Covid-19 in India till now, and there are several factors responsible for such grim figure.
As per the 2011 census, there are 4.87 lakh transgenders in the country.
Some members of the trans community have faced discrimination at vaccination centres. Many do have an Aadhaar card but do not own a smartphone and are hesitant to go for walk-in vaccination fearing discrimination.
The Centre had recently asked states to ensure that there was no discrimination against transgender persons at COVID-19 vaccination centres.
The Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry has also urged the states to conduct awareness drives, especially to reach out to members of the transgender community in different vernaculars to ensure that they are informed and aware of the vaccination process.
The ministry has also requested states to organise separate mobile vaccination centres or booths for vaccination of transgender persons such as those taken up in the states of Haryana and Assam.
