Plea in Kerala High Court Seeking a Direction to Announce a Supply Calendar of Vaccines in All Health Centre Across the State
(Judicial Quest News Network)
A plea is filed in Kerala High Court seeking a direction to the State Government to publish the data on the number of vaccines that are being supplied to different vaccine centres in Kerala.
The pwtition filed by Parbhakaran PT.
A division bench of the Kerala High Court on Tuesday asked the state government to inform the correct whether the stock details of COVID-19 vaccines could be posted on the COVID-19 Jagartha portal of the State.The bench comprising of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan and MR Anitha heard the matter on Tuesday over ZOOM, ordering it to be posted on Friday for further hearing.
The act of the 1st respondent in not publishing in public domain to the matters relating to the production as well as vaccine quantity intended to be imported and also the calendar relating to the schedule of supply to each States of the vaccine is the blatant violation of the duty of the State towards the subjects.
In the present scenario of the vast spread of Covid-19 and the sudden outbreak of the 2nd phase wherein the State is facing a huge setback due to the large spread of the pandemic. The only remedy now being vaccination for everyone, the Central Government has declared vaccination for everyone above 18 years of age from 1st May 2021. The petitioner herein fully supporting the Central & the State Government to vaccinate everyone has filed this writ petition only for a positive direction to the Government to declare the available stock of vaccines, so as to prevent chaos.
The petition filed through Advocate R Leela referred to instances of overcoming at vaccine canters and averred that same could be averted if there was data relating to the number of vaccines supplied to each vaccine center.
The petitioner contended that Last Monday, the centre had announced that it would open inoculation for everyone above the age of 18 from 01.05.2021 in what is going to be a more “liberalised and accelerated Phase 3 strategy of COVID-19 vaccination”. In January 2021, India began the largest vaccination drive in the world, inoculating healthcare, sanitation and other frontline workers in the first phase.
It is further contended that Due to non-availability of vaccine the registration portal could not also properly functioning which again is creating chaos among the people that many runs for spot registration and the health Workers are put in dilemma. Such a situation create apprehension among the people regarding the continued supply of vaccine that the health workers are put in considerable stress and stigma to convince the common man regarding the availability of vaccine.
The State Attorney KV Sohan while arguing the matter said that all the that huge crowed gathered for the vaccine lasted only for two days and that people could register to book their vaccination slots.
The Petitioner’s advocate Leela proceeded to seek the data available with state on the number of the doses being sent to each district, government and private vaccine sites, primary health centres etc.
She also asked the authorities to show that persons allotted a particular number series would alone be administered the vaccine on a particular day.
Justice Vijayaraghavan said that “they are trying their level best. With the available resources they are doing they are improving it upon.
The Court directed that the matter be posted on Friday.
