Bombay HC asks Centre to start door-to-door vaccination | Fusion - WeRIndia

Considering the difficulties of senior citizens in getting a vaccination, the Bombay High court asked the central government to start door-to-door vaccination.

The High Court, while hearing a PIL filed by two city lawyers, Dhruti Kapadia and Kunal Tiwari, said that if the government had started a door-to-door vaccination programme for senior citizens a few months ago, it could have saved many lives.

The PIL sought the doorstep vaccination for senior citizens and the physically challenged. As online registration is mandatory for vaccination, the PIL sought a helpline or better measures to assist the elderly people with the online registration. It also required the relaxation of ID proofs for homeless and transgender people.

In this context, the division of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni asked the Centre why it did not start the vaccination programme pro-actively as it involved the lives of elderly people who could not go out during the existing situation.

In reply to the HC, the Centre said that vaccines should be kept at cold temperature and ambulances might not maintain the required temperature.

Besides, people who get vaccinated shall have to wait for a specific time for any adverse reactions. As most senior citizens suffer from co-morbidities, they may need immediate medical attention which can be given at hospitals. But, if the doorstep vaccination is provided, it is difficult to provide such services.

The additional solicitor general Anil Singh on behalf of the Centre said that the government had filed a detailed affidavit in reply to a PIL filed in the Supreme Court on door-to-door vaccination.

He said that doorstep jabs may not possible at this moment.

However, the HC expressed a lack of satisfaction for not following its assurance on the earlier order and asked the central government to file an affidavit by next Wednesday.

Photo by Roger Starnes Sr on Unsplash (Free for commercial use)

Image Reference: https://unsplash.com/photos/pvLqXLVMsis