Sharjah launches home vaccination service for elderly

Sharjah: The Department of Social Services, in cooperation with the Sharjah Medical District, began receiving applications for vaccination of COVID-19 for senior citizens, including the disabled, psychiatric patients and their families at home from Saturday.

The initiative took off after the completion of the training of the medical staff of the department in cooperation with the primary health care centers on the approved medical procedures for vaccination in all cities in the emirate. The home vaccination service will be provided through the Department of Services for Senior Citizens, the Disabled, Psychiatric Patients and their families in Sharjah, and the Social Services Department Branch (Al-Dhaith, Al-Madam, Al-Bataih, Maliha, Khorfakkan, Kalba, Dibba Al-Hisn, and Al Hamriya).

Afaf Ibrahim Al Mirri, Head of the Social Services Department in Sharjah said: “The department’s launch of the home vaccination service is one of the most important services that will facilitate access to the most vulnerable groups, including the elderly, the handicapped, the mentally ill and their families by reaching them at home, in addition to encouraging the largest number of community members to obtain the vaccine.”

Al Mirri appreciated the efforts of the Ministry of Health and Community Protection represented by the Sharjah Medical District to provide the best health services and their active role in providing all means of health support for the department.

Kholoud Al Ali, Director of the Department of Elderly Services in the Department, said: “We are pleased in the Department of Social Services to be one of the institutions that work with all government agencies that seek to confront this epidemic and to reach health and social services that enhance the health of senior citizens in the emirate of Sharjah. We have cooperated with the primary health care centers in Sharjah to prepare all the necessary needs to start vaccination at home through home care units. The medical staff were trained and coordinated with the medical district in Sharjah to receive the necessary vaccinations. This comes as part of the department’s efforts to support the Ministry of Health and Community Protection to provide COVID-19 vaccination to more than 50 per cent of the country’s population during the first quarter of this year. As the elderly group is considered one of the most vulnerable groups to this disease, vaccinating it will reduce the number of infected people from this group.”