PIL filed in Orissa High Court seeking priority vaccines and Covid care management to Adivasi and PVTGs

Upendra Bhai Vrs State of Odisha and others-W.P.(C) PIL No. 17182 of 2021 | Orissa High Court | Status: Pending | |

The 2nd wave of Covid 19 has spread across the State with 55% of the case being reported in the Rural areas. Cases of Covid 19 reaching the PVTGS communities is a cause of concern. There has been reported a wide range of  mismanagement in Tribal Areas towards Covid management.  The lack of understanding towards the dangers that covid  possesses  and lack of dedicated Health Care centers or adequate quarantine centers  in Tribal areas and further aggravated the situation . The imposition of lock downs and shut downs which has stopped the source of livelihood hood of the tribal bringing them to the verge of starvation. The PIL has been   seeking a Court monitored committee overseeing the COVlD 19 preparation; vaccination and welfare of the Tribal Communities during the Covid 19 Pandemic in State; priority vaccination programme for tribal communities ; setting up of dedicated quarantine centers and Covid hospitals near the tribal areas, setting up of community kitchen,  to    publicize  the existence of the quarantines, hospitals and    to convince and educate the Tribal communities regarding COVID19, its management and vaccination programme, and to ensure that pregnant and lactating women and their children from the primitive vulnerable tribal groups have ready access to medical health care facilities in the form of free transportation to public health facilities or mobile health clinics among others.