Dialer Tune On Covid Vaccination Is ‘Irritating’: HC

The Delhi High Court criticized the inexorable dialer tune message of the Centre asking people to get vaccinated. Labelling it as an “irritating” message, the court said people have to hear it when we all know the vaccines are scanty at the moment.

“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. 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,” a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said.

The court further added that the government should be extra innovative and 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. “So please have more of them (dialer messages). When a person hears a different one every time, maybe it will help him/her,” the court added.

The court further emphasized how TV anchors or producers can prepare shows on making people aware of the use of oxygen concentrators and cylinders and be aired on all channels. It also suggested that celebs like Amitabh Bachchan can be asked to chip in and that all this “needs to be done soon”.

Comparing the last year’s publicity over washing hands and wearing masks, the court pointed out how the second wave shows apathy in “publicity and propaganda” compared to the first wave. “Last year there was a lot of publicity on washing of hands regularly and wearing of masks and now there should be similar audio-visual initiatives on use of oxygen, concentrators, medications, etc. We are losing time. There should be a sense of urgency,” the bench said.