Bhubaneswar: Odisha government has requested the Centre to allow private hospitals empanelled under the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) as COVID-19 vaccination sites.
In a letter to Union Health Ministry Secretary Rajesh Bhusan, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) PK Mohapatra has urged the latter to grant the necessary permission in this regard.
“As Odisha has not adopted the AB-PMJAY, it is requested that the 183 private hospitals empanelled under our State Health Assurance Scheme- Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) may be kindly allowed to be registered as COVID-19 vaccination session sites,” stated Mohapatra in the letter.
While vaccination will be free of cost in government hospitals, the prices of vaccination in private hospitals will be fixed by the Centre, said DMET Director CBK Mohanty.
Odisha government has already started the process of preparing a database of senior citizens, people aged above 45 years and those with other comorbidities for vaccination in the next round of COVID-19 vaccine roll-out on March 1.
State government has issued an ‘operational strategy’ for Covid-19 vaccination.
Additional Chief Secretary of Health department PK Mohapatra said, eligible beneficiaries will have to register their names through the CoWin app for vaccination.
Notably, private hospitals empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) have been allowed as Covid-19 vaccination sites by the Centre.
