The argument for including mental illness in the list of comedic diseases

A petition has been filed before the Delhi High Court to include serious mental illness in the list of critical comradeships to make priority COVID-19 vaccination. The petition called for a policy direction to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to homeless, mentally ill persons wandering the streets.

At present, the government has included health workers, front-line workers (state and central police department personnel, armed forces, home guards and civil security organizations, including disaster management volunteers, municipal workers, election officials in state elections), individuals. Has given priority to. Those aged 60 and above were identified for COVID-19 vaccination.

The petition states that a major group on the list of comorbidities is suffering from severe mental illness. It clarified that 20 points of the list of specified comorbidities included persons with intellectual disabilities and people with disabilities in need of high support.

The petition states, “According to the Schedule to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, intellectual disability and mental illness are two different things.” It stated that the Schedule to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2016 terms “intellectual disability” as a condition that has a significant range in both intellectual functioning (reasoning, education, problem solving) and adaptive behavior, which every day Covers a range. Social and practical skills, including “assigned learning disability” and “autism spectrum disorder”.

However, only a mentally ill person with a valid certificate is eligible for COVID-19 vaccination. A mentally ill person who does not have any type of certificate is not eligible for the same, the petition states.

“Thousands of mentally ill people who either do not have valid certificates… or are homeless [not having any kind of valid ID proof with them] Is prohibited by the respondents [authorities] To participate in the vaccination campaign on priority basis, ”said the petition, which is likely to be heard on Friday.