Special Covid-19 vaccination drive for sex workers in Mumbai

Over the weekend around 100 commercial sex workers CSW in South Mumbairsquos Kamathipura got their first vaccine shots in an ongoing drive The area has nearly 1500 sex workers living in six lanes where it has been business as usual without Covid19 cases or deaths amid the second wave Vaccination however has met with roadblocks like hesitancy and lack of documentationIt has been business as usual in Kamathipura though the volume has reduced PicPradeep DhivarThis is being dealt with various solutions being employed by civic officials and local political representativesMany CSWs do not have an Aadhaar card As per the records of an NGO working in the area only 650 CSWs have Aadhaar cardsMakrand Dagadkhair assistant commissioner E ward said ldquoMany CSWs donrsquot have Aadhaar cards or other official documents We have received a circular from the central government about a special sanction under which these people can be vaccinated I have made a proposal for the same and we should get CSWs without documentation vaccinated at the earliestrdquoAlso Read Fivestar hotel in Mumbai stores Covid19 vaccines in normal fridgeDagadkhair said that special drives in the area have been conducted to control Covid19 ldquoWe have been conducting special screening camps In the first wave there were many positive cases There havenrsquot been any in the second wave so farrdquo he said Counselling of communityAround 1364 sex workers will be vaccinated under the drive initiated by local MLA Amin Patel in the next three days On Sunday Patel along with a few vaccinated CSWs counselled the others ldquoWe had an informal chat with the CSWs to understand their stand on vaccination A majority of them felt that taking the vaccine would make them fall ill and affect their workrdquo said PatelMLA Amin Patel during a counselling session with commercial sex workers on SundayldquoI have promised to take care of them if they fall ill after taking the vaccine Over the next three days BEST buses will take CSWs to the three vaccination centres nearbyrdquo said PatelIncomes hit significantlyMeanwhile work has been going on as usual but with migrants returning to their hometowns there has been a significant dip in customers ldquoContract labourers many taxi drivers who are our clients have returned to their hometowns As compared to five clients daily before the lockdown now there are hardly one or twordquo said Purnima 28When asked about Covid19related precautions Shaila 21 said ldquoWe were told to wear masks and social distance How is that even possible in our profession God has been kind so far Nothing untoward has happened in the pandemic We have faced and survived HIV Corona canrsquot do anything to usrdquo Shaila provides for her family in PuneShabnam who hails from West Bengal said that the only thing affected is their income ldquoWe live in 2x6 ft rooms and have to pay a rent of Rs 250 a day In the past few months there have hardly been any earnings We are surviving handtomouth Some NGOs have helped us with ration and food regularlyrdquo she said Most of the CSWs hail from West Bengal and have families to look afterShankar Mugalkhod founder of NGO Grace Foundation that has been actively working in Kamathipura said that the major challenge for them has been food and paying the rent ldquoWhile many havenrsquot paid their rent for months we have been providing them with food and regularly checking if anyone needs medical help So far they have managed to support each other in this crisis and sail throughrdquo said Mugalkhod1364No of sex workers in line to be vaccinated650No of sex workers out of nearly 1500 who have Aadhaar Cards