KOLKATA: Bengal government opened 168 state-run Covid Vaccination Centres (CVCs) for the beneficiaries, who have been facing difficulties to get the second dose after having received the first dose from various private hospitals. In a significant development, the Mamata Banerjee government moved the Supreme Court seeking directions to disband the phase 3 of the COVID-19 vaccination policy and instead adopt and implement a uniform vaccination policy by doing away with the differential pricing mechanism. Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee earlier stressed on the importance of a universal vaccination policy where there will be no discrimination between states and the Centre in terms of pricing. The state government had already sought around 6 crore doses of vaccine from the Centre, which would help the government to start immunisation among the people over 18 years of age. The ongoing vaccination drive at private institutions has been completely stalled due to the faulty policy of the Centre, alleged the experts. The Centre had earlier brought regulations which stated that besides various state governments, the private hospitals also have to procure the vaccine doses directly from the manufacturers. But, when the private hospitals contacted the manufacturers they failed to give any assurance in this regard. As a result, the private hospitals urged the state government to come up with an idea so that people having received the first dose can get the second one on time. Responding to the private hospitals plea, the state government has finally opened 168 CVCs for the beneficiaries from the private establishments. Five Centre-owned institutions — BR Singh Hospital, South Eastern Railway Central Hospital, Centenary Hospital Kolkata Port, Metro Railway Kolkata, Gun and Shell Factory have also been opened where people from the private hospitals can receive their second dose. The state government has once again turned a rescuer for thousands of those who are looking for their second dose. Private hospitals had to shut their CVCs as their stocks were completely exhausted. The Urban Development and Municipal Affairs department on Friday wrote to all the CEOs of private hospitals allotting designated CVCs for the private hospitals depending on their locations. Each Borough area under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has been tagged with government run hospitals and CVCs. It has been mentioned in the letter which vaccine is available at which centre. Even UPHCs under various Boroughs have been opened for the private hospital beneficiaries.

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