Keypoints:
- Centre has urged states and UTs to ensure adequate allocation of COVID 19 vaccines to all hospitals as per the vaccination sessions have been planned.
- States and UTs have been urged not to store,reserve,conserve or create a buffer stock of the vaccines.
On Tuesday, the Centre has urged all the privately managed hospitals to provide COVID vaccines only if the hospital is following the given Covid norms. It also asked the state and Union territories to utilise most of the capacity of private medical facilities empanelled under three categories.
The Centre also urged the state and Union territories to not store,reserve,conserve or create a buffer stick of the vaccines. In a statement, the Union Health Ministry has said that a day after the start of the second phase of India’s inoculation drive in which the coverage has been expanded to include everyone above 60 and those over 45 with specified co-morbidities.
During an official meeting with the states, the Centre reiterated that there is no shortage of the vaccines as of now and hence, adequate vaccine doses should be allocated to the COVID Vaccination Centres(CVCs).
“The central government has adequate stock and will provide the required vaccine doses to the states and UTs,” it said.
#LargestVaccineDrive#Unite2FightCorona
Centre urges States/UTs to utilise 100% capacities of Private Hospitals functioning as #COVID19 Vaccination Centres (CVCs). https://t.co/gIUuIdpK3g @PMOIndia @drharshvardhan @AshwiniKChoubey @PIB_India @mygovindia @COVIDNewsByMIB
— Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) March 2, 2021
“Private hospitals not empanelled under the above-mentioned three categories have also been permitted to operate as CVCs if they have adequate number of vaccinators, adequate space for observation of the vaccinated, adequate cold chain arrangement and adequate arrangement for management of Adverse Events Following Immunisation(AEFI),” the statement said.
All the private vaccination centres should have effective crowd management protocols in place, along with facilities for seating, water, proper signage etc. They should also ensure adherence to a COVID-appropriate behaviour among the beneficiaries. The state and district administrations would proactively facilitate this, the health ministry said.
“Further, states and UTs in consultation with the private hospitals should open the vaccination slots for 15 days to a month and announce this as part of their Vaccine Time Table,” it added.
