Take stand on doorstep jab for elderly, sick: HC

‘If Centre doesn’t permit BMC, we will pass orders permitting the civic body to start door-to-door vaccination drive’

A Bombay High Court bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Girish Kulkarni on Wednesday slammed the Union government for dragging its feet over allowing door-to-door vaccination drive for senior citizens, the differently abled and the bedridden. The HC has now asked the BMC to spell out if it is ready to do so, and in that case, the court will permit the civic body to proceed despite the Union government's opposition.

The bench was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Dhruti Kapadia seeking directives to the authorities to allow doorto-door inoculation drives for the elderly and bedridden.

On Wednesday, Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh submitted a brief note spelling out the decision of the Union government-appointed expert committee that had recommended against door-to-door vaccination.

Just as Singh began reading out from the note the decision of the committee, CJ Datta interrupted saying, “There will be 100 reasons for no door-to-door vaccination, we would want to see at least one such reason.”

Accordingly, the ASG continued reading out the decision, which included reasons like the need for an ICU facility to attend to the patient in case of any adverse effect post-inoculation, 30-minute observation and so on.

He said that the expert committee had considered the issue. However, CJ Datta said the experts had no connection with the ground reality. “They are experts but seem to have zero knowledge about ground reality. I can say this because in north Kolkata, there are places wherein even a stretcher cannot be taken in, forget an ambulance. How would you then bring a bedridden person out for the jab?” With no positive response from the ASG, an irked CJ Datta sought to know from the counsels present in the court hall who was appearing for the BMC. “Whoever appears for the BMC, step up. We want to know from you right away if you are ready for door-to-door vaccination drive. Come forward and help our senior citizens,” CJ Datta said.

“Also, you (BMC) need not worry about the Union government. If the Union government isn’t allowing you to proceed, we will permit you by our orders,” CJ Datta said. At this, Kapadia told the bench that the civic body had, in fact, sought permissions from the Union government for door-to-door inoculation drives but it had been turned down. She further added that the civic body could consider obtaining consent from the relatives of such patients so that in the event of any adverse effect, no one could be blamed.

A counsel appearing for the BMC stood up and told the bench that she would need instructions from the officials on this. “The possibility of medical emergency and the importance of monitoring must be considered,” the counsel submitted.

Accordingly, the chief justice adjourned the hearing by a day for the BMC commissioner to respond whether the civic body would proceed with door-to-door. “We will say that the Union government may not be willing to give you the green signal but we will give you the green signal,” the CJ said while adjourning the matter till Thursday af ternoon. Meanwhile, Kapadia pointed out that on May 14, the state government had issued SOPs allowing inoculation of people who did not have ID cards. She pointed out that the SOPs were lacking on the grounds that that they only provided for identification of such individuals online. She proceeded to pick further holes in the SOPs by the state. However, the bench said that it would first see how these SOPs were implemented.