"Our visit is related to the coordination of the provision of vaccine quotas from the central government for people with disabilities in Banten," Special Staff to the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Angkie Yudistia, said while meeting Banten Deputy Governor Andika Hazrumy at the Banten Governor's Hall here on Wednesday.
According to Yudistia, the vaccine quota for people with disabilities is part of a grant from the UAE through its President, Khalifah Bin Zayid Al Nahyan, to President Joko Widodo.
Overall, the UAE has donated 450 thousand doses of the Sinopharm vaccine to Indonesia for people with disabilities.
"The President assigned me to ensure the (vaccines) distribution to the regions," Yudistia said.
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She said that apart from Banten province, five other provinces would receive the Sinopharm vaccine allocation for people with disabilities: Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java, and Bali.
"The coordination must be done intensively because this vaccine will expire in October (2021)," she added.
Meanwhile, Banten Deputy Governor Hazrumy said the provincial government is ready to hold vaccinations for people with disabilities using the Sinopharm vaccine grant.
According to him, data from the Banten Province Social Service has shown that currently, there are 27 thousand people with disabilities in the province. He said the COVID-19 pandemic has had an economic, health, social impact on people with disabilities.
Therefore, the Banten provincial government has invited all administrators, managers, caregivers from disability centers and the social welfare agency (LKS) for people with disabilities to work hand in hand to provide physical access support and assistance to people with disabilities amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he added.
People with disabilities can be served in all health facilities/vaccination centers and the services will not be limited to the domicile address on ID cards, following the Minister of Health's Decree regarding the acceleration of COVID-19 vaccination for older adults, people with disabilities, educators and education staff, Hazrumy said.
Related news: Banten to receive 4,500 vaccine doses for people with disabilities
Translator: Mulyana, Raka Adji
Editor: Suharto
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