Home vaccination started in Pune on experimental basis, state tells HC

Maharashtra government on Wednesday informed the Bombay high court (HC) that it has commenced a home vaccination drive on an experimental basis in Pune

Maharashtra government on Wednesday informed the Bombay high court (HC) that it has commenced a home vaccination drive on an experimental basis in Pune. The drives would later be implemented in other districts as well.

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The state government said it would invite emails from interested persons on a dedicated email-id, which will be announced publicly through print and electronic media. The government said it was open to suggestions and objections, hence sought to discuss the conditions in a chamber which was allowed and scheduled for Thursday.

The division bench of chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice Girish Kulkarni while hearing the public interest litigation PIL filed by lawyers Dhruti Kapadia and Kunal Tiwari, seeking directions to the Centre, state government and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to initiate door-to-door vaccination for the elderly and the bedridden who could not go to vaccination centres.

Advocate general Ashutosh Kumbhakoni while making submissions informed the bench that after the court’s query Tuesday, June 29 on why the state was awaiting the central government’s approval to implement the home vaccination scheme which was proposed by the state Covid task force, a meeting of state health department officials was held wherein it was decided to implement the scheme on an experimental basis in Pune district.

The public health department proposal prepared by Dr Dilip Narayan Patil, deputy director of state family welfare bureau, Pune, for home vaccination for bedridden or immobile persons on an experimental basis had, however, mentioned five mandatory conditions and approval of the Central government before actually implementing it.

The proposal had stated that family members of the beneficiary would have to give written consent for the jab and a private doctor would have to give a certificate that the beneficiary would not suffer from the adverse event following immunisation (AEFI) and if there was any adverse event he would be responsible for appropriate action. The proposal had added that to avoid vaccine wastage, at least 10 beneficiaries in close proximity should be made available for the drive.

While apprising the bench of the decision taken in the meeting on Tuesday evening the AG said that vaccination for immobile persons would be done on a trial and error basis. He justified the decision to start with Pune based on the fact that successful drives for students going abroad had been conducted there.

Kumbhakoni added that there would be additional conditions based on the concerns of the authorities which would be crystallised after the same were discussed with the bench in its chamber in the presence of the petitioners. He said that the concerns could not be discussed in open court as they would get reported in media and raise panic situations among the masses.

After hearing the submissions the bench said, “We hope and trust that you will not insist on the condition that a doctor will have to certify a patient stating the beneficiary is likely to not have AEFI. How can doctors do that? Who will go out of their way to certify? Do not insist on such impracticable conditions.”

The bench also referred to news reports which stated that Tripura had vaccinated more than 80 per cent of the population and also to reports of people being vaccinated on a boat and in narrow lanes by nurses and sought to know whether AEFI was such a big issue. Acceding to the request of Kumbhakoni, for a hearing in the chamber the court sought the presence of the chairperson of the Covid task force and posted further hearing of the PIL to Thursday, July 1.