New Delhi, March 3  Centre has directed all the states and union territories to utilize all private hospitals - empanelled under government insurance schemes in full capacity to achieve optimum number of vaccination. The decision was taken in a meeting conducted between Union Health Ministry officials and state family and welfare officials.

The ministry said that the meeting was chaired by Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary while Dr R S Sharma, Chairman of Empowered Group on Vaccine Administration (Co-WIN) and member, National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration of Covid-19 (NEGVAC) with Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries and Secretaries of States and UTs attended it through video conference.

"They were directed to utilise 100 per cent capacity of all private hospitals empanelled under Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), and State Health Insurance Schemes to enable them to effectively function as Covid Vaccination Centers (CVCs)," the ministry said.

"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, space for observation of the vaccinated, cold chain arrangement and arrangement for management of AEFI. States/UTs can proactively make efforts to use these private hospitals as CVCs too," it added.

The ministry also said that it was reiterated to the states that there is no shortage of Covid vaccines. "Hence, adequate vaccine doses should be allocated to the CVCs. States/UTs should not store, reserve, conserve or create a buffer stock of the Covid vaccines at the state and district levels," its directions read.

Meanwhile, all private vaccination centres were also directed to follow effective crowd management protocols along with facilities for seating, water, proper signage etc. for the beneficiaries coming there for the vaccination. "They should also ensure adherence of Covid-appropriate behaviour among the citizen beneficiaries. state and district administration would proactively facilitate this," the ministry said.