HC tells Centre to give priority to persons with medical distress in Vande Bharat mission

The Delhi High Court has told the Union government to give higher priority to those who are in medical distress, particularly the pregnant women in its overseas evacuation drive launched as Vande Bharat Mission.

"It is necessary to ensure within the category of persons who are to be accorded priority, a higher priority be accorded to persons who are in medical distress vis-à-vis persons who are otherwise hale and hearty but are stranded due to the expiry of their visa or other reasons," Justice Vibhu Bakhru said.

The court said it was expected that the government would take all necessary steps, within the limitation of the resources available, to operate flights to bring back Indian citizens who are stranded overseas.

The court's order came on a petition filed by United Nurses Association, through advocate Subhash Chandran K R, for a direction to the Union government to bring back 56 members who were pregnant and stranded in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Additional Solicitor General Maninder Acharya, appearing for the Union government, submitted that the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs expressly stipulated that priority will be accorded to “compelling cases in distress, including migrant workers or labourers who have been laid off, short term visa holders faced with the expiry of visas, persons with a medical emergency or pregnant women or elderly, those required to return to India due to death of a family member, and students.”

She assured the court that this guideline would be strictly followed.

On May 7, 2020, India started 'Vande Bharat Mission', believed to be the biggest repatriation mission in the country's history, to bring home citizens stranded abroad amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In the PIL, the nurses' organisation contended 55 members in Saudi Arabia and one in Kuwait need immediate medical and psycho-socio support.

Between May 7 and 13, 64 flights were operated bringing back approximately 14,800 citizens from 12 countries including UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Philippines, Singapore, UK, Bangladesh, Singapore, USA and Oman, etc.

The petitioner wanted giving highest priority to 56 pregnant healthcare workers.