Chandigarh
11 January 2022
DIVYA AZAD
A special vaccination drive for Afghan Students was today carried out at the Sukhna Lake vaccination centre here today. Mr Farid Mamundzay, Ambassador of Afghanistan to India was the Chief Guest on the occasion.
Vaccination drive was held by United Sikhs and Karan Gilhotra Foundation in association with the UT Health Department along with ASR Foundation. The Sukhna Lake vaccination centre had recently celebrated 20,000 COVID vaccinations.
“I thank the United Sikh Foundation for the generous support provided to many Afghan students living in Chandigarh by providing them free COVID vaccines, food ration & other assistance. This gesture of kindness would be remembered for years to come. Thank you Chandigarh for making many Afghans feel at home”, said Mr Farid Mamundzay, Ambassador of Afghanistan to India.
Amardeep S Reen of United Sikhs said, “United Sikhs have been very closely associated with the Afghan cause and has been helping the Afghans in India on various fronts, from legal aid to rehabilitation and various other requirements that arise time and again. This vaccination drive of Afghan students in Chandigarh is part of that initiative. When we came to know that some Afghan students are facing challenges getting vaccinations across India, we along with the UT Administration enabled this vaccination drive to vaccinate all eligible Afghan students in the city.”
Giving the information, Karan Gilhotra, founder of the Foundation said, “Since Afghan students have been facing issues with vaccination, we jointly took it up and decided to vaccinate the Afghan students in the city. He said around 25,000 vaccinations have been completed at the Sukhna Lake vaccination centre.”
Free vaccination is available at the vaccination centre from 12 pm to 7 p.m. which has been set-up by the health department in collaboration with Karan Gilhotra Foundation, United Sikhs and ASR Foundation. The foundation has provided waterproof shelter canopies with seating arrangement for those who visit the centre to take the vaccine.
United Sikhs and Karan Gilhotra Foundation had in May this year dedicated a Mini COVID-19 Care Centre at the Sports Complex, Sector 43, Chandigarh.
