Keeping the nation apprised on COVID-19 imperatives 24x7, providing meals to the needy via special initiatives, helping bridge the digital divide in education via partnerships and telecasting lectures - ABP Network has left no stone unturned in helping the most vulnerable during the pandemic.
Once again, alongside Robin Hood Army – a volunteer-based, zero-funds organisation, ABP Network has taken the leap to create positive societal impact. Under a special campaign called #SeniorPatrol, ABP-RHA are working towards fast-tracking COVID-19 vaccination for millions of senior citizens.
ABP Network is assisting Robin Hood Army in reaching out to wider audiences by promoting the initiative on their news channels and inspiring more volunteers to join the cause.
The network is pulling out all stops to support the government in their efforts to make India healthy and COVID 19-free. In fact, this year, the network also won ‘Best Social Contribution by News Network (Hindi)’ at the NT Awards for their sincere efforts in bringing positive societal change.
As India launched one of the world’s largest mass vaccination exercises in January 2021, ABP-RHA are going to assist the second phase of the vaccination drive which just commenced in the country. Under this phase, 100 million senior citizens aged 60 years and above are to be vaccinated. And to ensure the implementation of the same, Government of India has launched a tech-enabled platform, ‘Co-Win’ for the registration of all beneficiaries.
At this point, there is an urgent need to set up systems that expedite the vaccine distribution machinery, considering only 1% of the population has been vaccinated since distribution started. As online registration of all beneficiaries has been recommended for receiving COVID 19 vaccination - senior citizens are/or might not be as well versed with technology to register themselves. ABP-RHA will therefore be helping these senior citizens register themselves online. Secondly, the volunteers will also be physically bringing the elderly to the vaccination centres, to help them receive their prescribed vaccination doses.
The process will be simple - If a senior citizen living alone/or a worried relative of a senior citizen staying elsewhere wants to request for RHA’s service, they can simply fill out a self-explanatory form on the organisation’s website. A Robin will reach out to them within a few hours of the request.
What’s more is that, under this initiative, ride-hailing major, ‘Uber’ is also going to be providing free rides to help vulnerable elderly to and from vaccine centres to receive their doses across 53 Indian cities, where both Uber and RHA operate.
In addition to supporting the world’s largest vaccination drive, these free rides to senior citizens will further boost earning opportunities for Drivers on Uber’s platform during these challenging times.
Alongside ABP Network, Robin Hood Army had run a similar project in April 2020, during the national lockdown, whereby the #SeniorPatrol mechanism enabled thousands of Robins to serve the most senior and susceptible members of the society with essentials like food, medicines, etc.