CHENNAI: The Madras High Court recently directed the Tamil Nadu government to ensure a special vaccination drive is held to inoculate the mentally ill on a priority basis.The State was asked to put in place a mechanism within five weeks to vaccinate them. However, disability rights activists say there are many challenges to this.
Firstly, there is no data on the mentally ill, whether home bound or wandering, said S Namburajan, State general secretary, The Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently-Abled and Caregivers (TARATDAC).
“Certificates have not been provided for most of the mentally ill persons. Not even half of them would be inoculated in the drive as there is no data. Also, they must be tested for Covid and arrangements must be made to quarantine them if they test positive,” he said.
The Chennai Corporation recently began a vaccination drive for persons with disabilities across the 15 zones in the city. For people with severe disabilities who cannot move out of their homes, Corporation teams will visit their homes and vaccinated them.
“Even among Persons with Disabilities, there was very little willingness to take the jab. To ensure the mentally ill come forward, the government must make a concrete statement assuring them that vaccine is safe. Otherwise, the vaccination drive will not serve any purpose,” said TMN Deepak of the December 3 Movement.
Activists say even for the homebound mentally ill persons, complete consent must be received before inoculation and the drive must be carried out with sensitivity. This will make more people join the drive, they said.