Door-to-door COVID-19 vaccination drive to start in Mumbai from August 1: state govt to Bombay HC

Citizens would not have to pay for the COVID-19 vaccines since it is being done by the corporation

The Maharashtra government on Tuesday informed the Bombay High Court that the state government would kick-start the door-to-door COVID-19 vaccination drive from August 1 in Mumbai. Earlier, the door-to-door COVID-19 vaccination drive was supposed to start from Pune as a pilot project but the state told the court that they have drafted a detailed policy to start a door-to-door vaccination drive in the state which will start from Mumbai.

Petitioner advocate Dhruti Kapadia appearing in person raised the issue of the cost of the vaccination on which the court replied, “Citizens would not have to pay for the vaccines since it is being done by the corporation. Also, the authorities should consider including the wheelchair-bound citizens, who have already got the first doses.”

As per the court directive, elderly persons, physically disabled/wheelchair existence/on a stretcher, immune-compromised and those on chemotherapy and or cancer care or terminally ill and cannot be transported safely would be eligible for door to door vaccination drive.

Expressing her happiness on the court’s decision Dhruti Kapadia told ANI, “I thank our judiciary, media, AG, BMC team, and all who have made this impossible become possible. All the research and hard work put in has now shown sunlight with a bright day for those who thought would never get the vaccines.”

Bombay HC bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Girish Kulkarni was hearing the petition filed by advocate Dhruti M Kapadia seeking door-to-door vaccination for elderly and bedridden citizens in the state and the petition was filed just before the start of the second wave of COVID-19 hit the country.