Presidential Special Staff, Yogyakarta Governor Talk on COVID-19 Vaccine for People with Disabilities

Presidential Special Staff Angkie Yudistia meets with Governor of Yogyakarta Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, at the Kepatihan Compound, Danurejan, Yogyakarta, Monday (7/6). (Photo: Jay/PR)

Presidential Special Staff Angkie Yudistia had an audience with Governor of Special Region of Yogyakarta Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X to discuss about COVID-19 vaccine for people with disabilities.

“Based on Circular Letter of Ministry of Health in April, the Central Government urges each regional head and vaccination center to accelerate the vaccination drive. Since people with disabilities are among the vulnerable groups that have high risk of being exposed to COVID-19, so the Government should also accelerate the vaccination drive for them,” said Angkie in a press statement after the meeting on Monday (7/6).

Angkie further emphasized that the first thing to do in fulfilling the rights of persons with disabilities is to understand that each of them has different needs.

“We know that the needs of people with disabilities are different; People with sensory, motor, intellectual, mental, and multiple disabilities, each have their own needs,” she said.

For this reason, she continued, the Government must be able to work together with various communities, both the community for people with disabilities and its supporting community, in order to obtain verified and valid data.

Regarding the implementation of vaccination itself, according to Angkie, the most challenging issue in accelerating vaccination for people with disabilities is transportation.

“The challenge is how people with disabilities can get to the vaccination site or it is the health workers that visit the center for people with disabilities or directly visit the people with disabilities. It will be carried out based on the policies of each region,” she said, while adding that since its implementation [vaccination drive] on 2 June, more than 500 thousand people with disabilities had been vaccinated. (SLN/UN) (EST/LW)