Who will come for vaccination when there are no vaccines, Court slams ‘irritating’ caller tune

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has expressed its displeasure over what it termed “irritating caller tune’’ asking people to come for vaccination at a time when there is a huge shortage of anti-COVID vaccines in the country.

"You have been playing that one irritating message on the phone whenever one makes a call, for we do not know how long, that you (people) should have the vaccination, when you (Centre) don't have enough vaccine,’’ the high court said.

"You are not vaccinating people, but you still say that get vaccinated. Kaun lagayega vaccination (who will get vaccinated), when there is no vaccination. What is the point of the message?" a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said.

"You should give it to everyone. Even if you are going to charge money, give it. That is what even children are saying," the bench said, adding that the government needs to be "innovative" in such things.

The high court further stated that the government should prepare more such messages instead of preparing just one and running it always. "Till like a tape it stops running or starts skipping, you will run it for 10 years," it said. The bench said the government, state or Centre, have to react to the situation on the ground.

"So please have more of them (dialler messages). When a person hears a different one every time, maybe it will help him/her," the court said.

The bench also suggested using TV anchors or producers to create programmes, on making people aware about the use of oxygen concentrators and cylinders or on vaccination, of short durations which can be aired on all channels.

It also said that celebs like Amitabh Bachchan can be asked to chip in and that all this "needs to be done soon".

The court said that a lot of "publicity and propaganda" was there last year on the washing of hands regularly and wearing of masks and now there should be similar audio-visual initiatives on the use of oxygen, concentrators, medications, etc.

"We are losing time. There should be a sense of urgency," the bench said and directed the Centre and Delhi government to file their reports by May 18 on what steps they are going to take for disseminating information on COVID management via print and TV media and also dialler tunes.

(With Agency Inputs)