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The Supreme Court on October 29 will hear a PIL seeking prioritised COVID vaccination for persons with disabilities at their place of residence since they face a higher risk of being impacted by the disease.
A Bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud will hear the plea on October 29. The Bench had earlier issued notice to the Centre and also requested the Solicitor General to assist it with regard to steps that have already been taken and that are to be taken to assuage their concerns. The apex court had noted that the plea raises questions dealing with the rights of the disabled. The plea filed by Evara Foundation, a disability rights organization, sought direction to bring focus upon the steps which are required to ensure ease of access to vaccination to persons with disabilities in order to protect them against COVID-19. The plea contended that even the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has said that vaccination should happen at the doorsteps of persons with disabilities. The example of Jharkhand and Kerala that implemented this policy was also mentioned in the plea. The plea stated that scheduling an appointment at a particular vaccination centre is a highly technical process and persons with disabilities are facing difficulties in getting vaccinated. Seeking vaccination at doorsteps for persons with disabilities and their caregivers, the plea said visiting vaccination centres amid lockdowns in various states is also a challenging task for such persons. (ANI)
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