'Door-To-Door Vaccination Could Have Saved Lives, Why Haven't You Started It?': Bombay High Court To Centre

The Bombay High Court, on Wednesday, said that door-to-door vaccination would have saved lives during the second wave and asked the Centre why they had not started door-to-door vaccination for senior citizens who were unable to go to vaccination centres to get inoculated?

The court was hearing a plea filed by two lawyers Dhruti Kapadia and Kunal Tiwari, requesting the door-to-door vaccination facilities for senior citizens, especially for those who are bedridden or wheelchair-bound.

"It has been three weeks, and the government (Union) is yet to inform us of its decision. The government should have taken a decision one way or the other," the bench comprising of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni observed.

It had reiterated its April 22 order to begin door-to-door vaccinations for the elderly, reported The Times of India.

Noting that foreign countries had begun door-to-door vaccinations facilities, Justice Kulkarni had asked why this hadn't started earlier in India, where things are very late and travel to our country slowly.

"Speaking off the cuff, if we had a door-to-door vaccination programme sometime back, so many of our senior citizens, including prominent members of society from various walks of life who have lost their lives to COVID-19, could have been saved." Said Justice Kulkarni.

The photographs of senior citizens and many wheelchair-bound people waiting in long lines of the queue was very heart-rending, the bench said.

COVID-19 Updates

India had recorded 3,62,727 cases and 4,120 deaths in the past 24 hours. Maharashtra logged 46,781 cases and has extended the lockdown till June 1. Recently India received Russian made Sputnik vaccines, which are said to hit the market next week. The government also approved DRDO developed drug for COVID-19 earlier this week. Meanwhile, a government panel, on Thursday, has recommended a 12-16 weeks gap in between Covishield doses. the