A Petitioner Tells Bombay High Court that No Vaccination Slot Till July

There is no space for COVID-19 vaccination available until July, a petitioner told the Bombay High Court today at a hearing on how the state is addressing the second deadly wave of the pandemic.

A lot of petitions are being heard in the high court, from investigating fires in hospitals treating Covid patients to long lines outside vaccination centers, which are at odds with safety guidelines such as the need for social distancing.

“When it comes to the vaccine, there are no available spaces until July. After waiting in line for hours, there is a sign that says there is no stock. For four days I am running from column to publication trying to get an appointment.” Arshil Shah, the petitioner’s attorney, told the superior court.

The higher court responded that something must be done to avoid long lines for vaccination. “You can give time slots so that not all people come at the same time for vaccination,” said a bench in the division of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Judge GS Kulkarni.

“There is some problem at ground level. Those who have taken Covaxin have been asked to wait because there was a shortage and they had to prioritize the administration of the second dose,” said the Chief Justice, before ordering the center and the state government to give its answers on the petitions.

The high court said that the hospitals of the Mumbai and Pune municipal bodies where Covid patients are being treated should be monitored for fire safety. “Fire audits need to be completed in all hospitals and nursing homes,” the superior court said.

The court also noted that most Parsis are over 70 years old and may have difficulties reaching vaccination centers.

“The director of the Serum Institute of India, Adar Poonawalla, had said that he would maintain a quota for Parsis, but the community has said that a quota is not necessary,” said General Counsel Ashutosh Kumbhakoni.

The high courts of other states such as Delhi and Tamil Nadu have also been hearing petitions about the management of Covid and the shortage of medical oxygen.

Maharashtra reported a record 985 Covid deaths on Wednesday night, a 10 percent increase from the previous day. The state also reported 63,309 new cases, a 5 percent drop from Tuesday. Active Covid cases now exceed 6.73 lakh.

The increase in Covid cases in recent weeks has led to what is now called a second deadliest wave of the pandemic. Social media is full of stories of desperate people trying to find oxygen or a hospital bed for their friends and family.

This time, more and more people are complaining of shortness of breath, which needs oxygen. However, the supply of oxygen has been severely limited due to the sudden increase in demand in cities and towns. Only now is the center operating “Oxygen Express” trains that transport tanker trucks to the states most affected by Covid.