Delhi HC adjourns hearing of plea seeking inclusion of mental illness as priority group for COVID vaccination

New Delhi [India], August 12 : The Delhi High Court on Thursday adjourned the hearing of public interest litigation (PIL) filed by mental health activist, Advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal, who sought the inclusion of mental illness as a priority group for COVID-19 vaccination.
The Division bench headed by Justice DN Patel adjourned the matter for September 17 for further hearing.
Earlier, the court had issued a notice to the Union Health Ministry, Central Mental Health Authority and the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 asking them to submit their response on the inclusion of mental illness as a priority group for COVID-19 vaccination.
Bansal, in his petition, has stated that by way of excluding mental illness from the list of specified comorbidities, the Health Ministry has not only prohibited mentally ill persons from availing the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination but has also created barriers in getting the COVID-19 vaccination.
Bansal also pointed out that homeless mentally ill persons belong to one of the 'neglected groups' which are not included in the priority group for COVID-19 vaccination.
"It is also important to keep in mind that homeless persons with severe mental illness have a higher risk of spreading the COVID-19 infection due to the fact that because of their disability they are unable to understand what is happening with them," he stated in the petition.
The plea also sought direction to remove the condition of submitting disability certificates by beneficiaries for getting COVID-19 vaccination.