Bombay High Court on Wednesday asked the Mumbai municipal corporation if it was possible to introduce a door-to-door Covid-19 vaccination campaign for senior citizens and disabled persons who are unable to visit inoculation centres.

A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G.S. Kulkarni said if the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) was willing to start a door-to-door vaccination programme for these groups, the high court would grant it permission even though the central government had not given its nod to such a drive.

The bench noted that it seemed the Centre was not keen on starting such an initiative.

“If the BMC says it can start door-to-door vaccination, we will give it permission. No need to wait for the central government’s nod. Will you come to the help of elderly citizens? Even though the Centre is not giving the green signal, we are willing to give you (the BMC) the green signal,” Chief Justice Datta said.

“Will the BMC be able to go to the houses of those persons who cannot step out… and vaccinate them?” the court asked.

The court directed BMC commissioner Iqbal Chahal to file an affidavit on Thursday stating if it would be possible for the civic body to introduce a home-based vaccination drive with proper medical care for senior citizens, disabled persons and those who are bed-ridden or wheelchair-bound.

The court said it would hear the matter further on Thursday, noting that each day was precious during the pandemic.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by advocates Dhruti Kapadia and Kunal Tiwari seeking a direction to the central government to initiate a door-to-door vaccination campaign for senior citizens above the age of 75, persons with physical disabilities and those who are bed-ridden or wheelchair-bound.

The high court had earlier asked the Union government to take a relook at its policy that said doorstep vaccination was not possible because of various reasons such as wastage of doses and non-availability of observation centres for beneficiaries after they are inoculated.

On Wednesday, additional solicitor-general Anil Singh, appearing for the Union government, told the court that an expert committee had been set up to look into the issue.

The committee held a meeting on May 18 and submitted suggestions such as transporting people who are unable to move out of their homes on stretchers to vaccine centres, Singh said.

The additional solicitor-general added that a standard operating procedure would be issued by the government.

The court, however, noted that the experts on the committee might be academics but they seemed to have zero knowledge about ground realities.

The bench said there were many places in the country where buildings were situated in narrow lanes and it would not be possible to bring out a person on a stretcher.

Chief Justice Datta gave the example of Calcutta, where he was born and brought up, and said many buildings in the city were situated so close to each other that it would not be possible to take a stretcher there.

Justice Kulkarni pointed out there were old buildings with wooden staircases in Mumbai too.

“There are many households in our country that are situated in narrow bylanes and elderly citizens and disabled persons living here may not be able to come out. Are you (the Centre) saying that these persons are not entitled to get the vaccine? How do you cater to the needs of such people?” the court asked.