The Delhi High Court on Thursday, 13 May, criticised the Centre’s dialer tune message asking people to get vaccinated, and said that the "irritating" message was being played urging people to get the jab when there was not enough vaccine in the country.
A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said, "You have been playing that one irritating message on the phone whenever one makes a call, for we do not know how long, saying that you (people) should take the vaccination, when you (Centre) don't even have enough vaccine.”
It added, "You are not vaccinating people, but you still say that vaccination lagavaiye (get vaccinated). Kaun lagayega vaccination (who will get vaccinated), when there is no vaccination. What is the point of the message?”
The court said that the Centre should give the vaccination to everyone. "Even if you are going to take money, give it.” the Bench said.
The court also asked the government to prepare more such messages instead of preparing just one and running it constantly.
The state or Centre, have to react to the situation on the ground, the courts said adding that, they should have “more of them (dialer messages). When a person hears a different one every time, maybe it will help them”.
For spreading awareness more effectively, the courts suggested using TV anchors or producers to create programmes on spreading awareness about the use of oxygen concentrators, cylinders, and vaccine.
All this "needs to be done soon”, the court added.
Saying that a lot of "publicity and propaganda" was present last year on washing hands regularly and using masks, the Bench said similar audio-visual initiatives on use of oxygen, concentrators, medications, should be undertaken.
Directing the Centre and Delhi government to file their reports on steps taken for disseminating COVID information by Tuesday, 18 May, the bench said, "We are losing time. There should be a sense of urgency.”
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