Rethink policy on door-to-door vaccination: Bombay HC to Centre

The Bombay High Court on Thursday said it was disheartened and disappointed with the Centres insensitivity and with the Mumbai civic body for not starting doortodoor Covid19 vaccination for senior citizens and speciallyabled bedridden and wheelchairbound peopleA division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni reiterated that the Centre needs to rethink its policy that says doortodoor inoculation drive was not possible due to various reasons including wastage of vaccines and probability of adverse reaction to the vaccineThe HC directed chairman of the National Expert Group for Vaccine Administration of Covid19 NEGVAC set up by the Centre to consider the issue of introducing doortodoor drive and posted the matter for further hearing on June 2If the NEGVAC decides favourably to start the doortodoor drive then the same shall be implemented without waiting for the courts order the bench saidWe are very much disheartened with the central government Central government officials really disappointed us Your officials are completely insensitive Instead of making elderly people rush to the vaccination centres you government must reach out to them the court saidAlso Read Dont wait for Centres nod start doortodoor vaccination for select groups Bombay HC to BMCThe bench noted that the Centres expert committee was working on surmises by saying doortodoor vaccination was not possible at present because of the probability that people might develop an adverse reaction to the vaccineIs there any scientific data which shows that because of a particular vaccine a person has developed complications Where is the data that even a single person has died after taking the vaccine The expert committee should opine one way or the other There cannot be any ifs and buts the HC saidThe court noted that in the United Kingdom the same Covishield vaccine is being used and doortodoor vaccination drive has been undertaken thereThe court also lashed out at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC for filing an affidavit saying it would start doortodoor vaccination only after the central government issues guidelines for the sameWe are very disappointed with this stand We are aghast to know that the BMC has succumbed to pressure Chief Justice Datta saidThe bench said instead of being proactive on the issue the Centre is now not permitting other authorities at the state and civic level to start doortodoor vaccinationThe court further said the BMC was so active on social media about the good work it was doing for citizens but it was not willing to start the doortodoor vaccination driveYou BMC cannot discriminate like this it said The BMC in its affidavit said the Centre is yet to come up with a policy for doortodoor vaccination and till date the corporation has followed all guidelines laid down by both the Union and Maharashtra governments As and when the guidelines for doortodoor vaccination are issued by the central government the same will be implemented by the corporation the affidavit saidIt said the BMC is trying its best to procure sufficient stock of vaccines from all possible sources to ramp up the inoculation drive in MumbaiOn Wednesday the bench said if the BMC was willing to introduce doortodoor vaccination drive for senior citizens speciallyabled persons and those who are bedridden or wheelchairbound then the court would grant permission despite no nod from the CentreThe court was hearing a PIL filed by advocates Dhruti Kapadia and Kunal Tiwari seeking a direction to the government to start doortodoor inoculation programme for senior citizens above the age of 75 and others who are unable to go to the vaccination centresThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever