The Maharashtra government informed the Bombay High Court on Tuesday that door-to-door vaccination against Covid-19 for bedridden and immobile people in Mumbai will start as a pilot project from August 1.

The government told the court that a policy has been formulated for this. A Bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice GS Kulkarni is hearing a plea seeking door-to-door vaccination of elderly and disabled persons in Maharashtra.

Petitioner Dhruti Kapadia stated that the policy does not address the grievances entirely. Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni submitted that the policy has not been published yet and that it is at the draft stage. He informed that the vaccination drive will begin from Mumbai from August 1.

A decision has been taken to start vaccinating such patients from Mumbai civic body jurisdiction, instead of Pune, as there are more bedridden patients in Mumbai. The court had directed the government of India to set up a policy on an urgent basis for door-to-door vaccination of senior citizens and mentally challenged citizens at the earliest. The government did not rise to the occasion, the court observed.

‘State shows the way’

“However the State has shown the light at the end of the tunnel. The AG has placed before us a policy for elderly, bedridden andterminally ill patients who have been identified as eligible for the vaccination drive.

“A status report with regard to the drive will be placed before us on the next date. We hope and trust that the State and BMC will leave no stone unturned for ineligible and immobile patients to avail the vaccination scheme,” the court added.

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