602 bedridden persons got Covid vaccines at home in Mumbai, BMC tells HC

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday informed the Bombay high court (HC) that 602 bedridden and severely ill persons had been administered the first jab at their homes, since the drive was started from K-East ward on July 30

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday informed the Bombay high court (HC) that 602 bedridden and severely ill persons had been administered the first jab at their homes, since the drive was started from K-East ward on July 30.

A healthcare volunteer inoculates an elderly woman at her home at Dadar. (Pratik Chorge/HT PHOTO)

Senior advocate Anil Sakhare for the BMC also informed the division bench of chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice Girish Kulkarni that in all 4,715 persons, who could not go to vaccination centres had registered for home vaccination in the city

Sakhare said BMC started the drive on a test basis from the K-East ward on July 30. He submitted that a two-member team — a doctor and a nurse visited the beneficiary along with an ambulance, administered the doses and also observed the beneficiaries for 30 minutes post-vaccination, to ascertain that there was no adverse event following immunisation (AEFI).

He added that nearly 55 lakh people in Mumbai have already been vaccinated with at least one jab while 18.97 lakh people have got both jabs of the anti-Covid-19 vaccine.

He was responding to public interest litigation (PIL) filed by advocates Dhruti Kapadia and Kunal Tiwari, seeking directions to the Centre, state and BMC to provide door-to-door vaccination to severely ill, disabled, bedridden and persons aged over 75 years.

On Thursday, advocate general Ashutosh Kumbhakoni submitted that the state government had formulated a state policy for home vaccination for the immobile and bedridden persons and the drive had been successful so far.

The policy, based on the views and opinions of the state Covid task force and experts, states that it aimed to reduce morbidity and prevent fatality due to Covid-19, to provide both jabs to eligible persons within the stipulated time and build population immunity against the infection. The policy further states that the jabs would be administered after receiving the written consent of the family members and the eligible persons would be given Covaxin based on its availability.

During the course of the hearing on the PIL, advocate Kapadia thanked the court and the authorities for starting the home vaccination drive. However, he pointed out that certain beneficiaries were facing problems as their family doctors were not willing to give certificates stating that the beneficiary was not likely to not have an AEFI. She submitted that the BMC doctors could be asked to issue the certificates.

She also expressed concerns about BMC involving NGOs in the home vaccination process and submitted that some of the beneficiaries did not have identity cards as they had been bedridden for 20 years, hence the issue should also be addressed. She also reiterated the need for a helpline number for the registration of home vaccination.

After hearing the submissions, the court asked Kapadia to forward her suggestions and concerns to the state government counsel.

“The state government shall consider them and if considered appropriately, proceed to implement those which are acceptable,” observed the bench and said that the drive should be given seven-eight days. The court also directed the BMC to file a short affidavit indicating the total number of bedridden people vaccinated by August 11 and also asked it to indicate the exact role of NGOs in the home vaccination drives. The PIL will be heard on August 12.