Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has urged the Centre to come up with a clear guideline over procurement and use of COVID-19 vaccine. During the video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, Banerjee said: "Regarding vaccines, the Central government should authorise which vaccine to be procured and used. A guideline must be issued in this regard." Besides Banerjee, Chief Ministers from nine other states including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Gujarat and Punjab were present in the video conference with the Prime Minister. The need for a guideline on vaccines that the states can procure has come up as everyday different information is cropping up related to invention of vaccines for COVID-19. The guideline will clear all confusions in this regard. During the video conference, the Chief Minister further requested the Prime Minister to provide more High Flow Nasal Cannula and ventilators to the state. At present there are 715 ventilators in COVID-19 hospitals in the state. More ventilators will help to treat the critical patients. She has also stressed about the robust mechanism to provide round-the-clock tele-medicine service through the toll free number 1800 313 444 222 and the tele-psychological counseling of COVID-19 patients. "We have also engaged recent post-graduate pass outs to ensure a better tele-service facility in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak," Banerjee said adding that experts team comprising doctors from both state-run and private hospitals are regularly visiting COVID-19 hospitals and at the same time COVID Warriors Club has been set up in every district with more than 1500 members at present. Stating that in Bengal there are more than 100 safe homes with more than 7,000 beds for asymptomatic and mild COVID-19 patients those do not have space in their houses to stay in isolation. Banerjee has also stressed upon the 30 crore times visit to 2.5 crore households in the state by ASHA and health workers. It helped in identifying 2.5 lakh people who were suffering from Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) and Influenza Like Illness (ILI) cases. They were also provided with necessary counselling and medical assistance. Banerjee further said: "We have involved around 1 crore Self Help Group members to create awareness and guidance on COVID-19."

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