On 28^th June 2021, The Madras High Court has issued direction to the State Government to ensure that they must initiate a special vaccination drive for the mentally ill people and ensure that they are vaccinated on priority basis.

The court observed that the currently Tamil Nadu is recovering from the deadly second wave of the COVID 19 pandemic and it’s high time that the government should work on the relief and rehabilitation of its people. The government should provide relief to those families who have lost their only earners in the family, to those who have lost their business and jobs due to the pandemic. The court also observed that there are various people who have been abandoned by their families and are currently on streets for their survival. The court ordered the municipality and panchayat to provide them with proper attention, shelter and get them vaccinated on priority basis.

The court has also directed the state government to pay immediate attention to the needs of those who are mentally ill patients alongwith those who have been restricted in their movements. Such patients who are mentally ill and are homebound must be regularly checked for the next 4 weeks. The court has ordered the state to present the report of the same in 5 weeks. The court lastly directed the state to file counter-affidavit at larger aspects so that the mentally ill residents of the state are accordingly managed properly with basic human dignity because they are a vulnerable section in the society.

– Animesh Raizada, Intern