PIL before Bombay HC seeks helpline, door-to-door Covid vaccine for elderly

MUMBAI: Two city lawyers filed a public interest litigation (PIL) before Bombay high court to seek a central policy to provide Covid vaccine to “advanced age senior citizens, specially-abled and medically-challenged citizens’’ by offering door-to-door vaccination services at the earliest in the “interest of natural justice".Advocates Dhruti Kapadia and Kunal Tiwari filed the PIL which they may mention for urgent hearing on April 5.The PIL seeks a helpline number to enable the elderly to book appointments for home visits for “Covid vaccine with medical facility”.It also wants the HC to pass orders to the state or civic authorities to ensure or arrange for ambulances as a pick up and drop service for senior citizens above the age of 75 and bed-ridden or specially abled and unable to make it to the jab centres on their own.The PIL suggests that authorities could fix charges around Rs. 500 for the special service. It referred to the BMC’s letter to the state government seeking permission to take its vaccination drive door-to-door across the city to increase the number of beneficiaries. BMC’s plea, however, had been declined due to lack of policy.“There are specially-abled and handicapped citizens across the country who are eligible for vaccination but are unable to visit Covid centres due to their disability, and need utmost care and support to get them vaccinated. If the door-to-door vaccination facility is made available to them, then they will get vaccinated in time without causing further health disaster,” the plea said, pointing long waiting in queues, and added that mandatory documents like Aadhaar or PAN cards to book appointments be waived as many without such documents are unable to get the vaccine shots.The PIL also sought direction to the central government to set up a policy on an urgent basis to provide door-to-door Covid-19 vaccination facilities for advanced age senior citizens and specially-abled citizens.