HC asks govt to vaccinate senior citizens at home

KOCHI: A division bench of the Kerala High Court on Thursday directed the state government to take necessary steps to vaccinate senior citizens and bedridden patients at their homes. The bench, comprising justice A Muhamed Mustaque and justice Kauser Edappagath, said that the government should take the steps within 10 days.

The court made the direction while considering public interest litigation regarding categories of citizens requiring prioritization in vaccination. The court also directed the government to include lawyers and their clerks in the priority list for Covid vaccination along with judicial officers and court staff.

The court expressed concern about the plight of senior citizens during the pandemic. The court also pointed out that a senior citizen died in Palakkad without receiving care. Many senior citizens who are staying alone are not getting proper care. The court also mentioned Justice AK Jayasankaran Nambiar who had informed that the Janamaithri Police have been enquiring about the well-being of his mother who is living alone in Ernakulam. However, no such inquiry is not taking place across the state. To ensure this, it is proposed to prepare a list of senior citizens within every police station's limits, it stated.