BANKURA: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday assured Prime minister Narendra Modi that Bengal is “ready to work with the Centre and all other stakeholders” to ensure a speedy and “universal vaccination for everyone” as soon as the vaccines are available. Banerjee also raised the non-release of Covid funds by the Centre to the state.
According to a press note shared by the Bengal government, Banerjee told the PM that “the entire nation is now looking forward to an early vaccination programme” in which the Bengal government is ready to join with Centre and all stakeholders “for a comprehensive battle against the pandemic”. Banerjee assured the PM that Bengal “is fully prepared with trained manpower and required infrastructure — including cold chain — for the vaccination programme”. Banerjee had a day before indicated that the Bengal government is ready to procure vaccines on its own, if the Centre informs the state about the vaccine procurement sources.
On Tuesday, the CM told the PM that Bengal has already spent around Rs 4,000 crore on Covid management, but the Centre has released only Rs 193 crore.
The CM attended the meeting with the PM and other chief ministers from Bankura. The meeting commenced at 10:30 am.
Taking a cue from Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, Banerjee stressed before the prime minister that “political gamesmanship, competitive rallies and public health hazards must be averted in the society in the greater public interest”. Banerjee said that despite the Durga Puja, Kali Puja and Chhath Puja festivities in Bengal, and recommencement of the massive suburban rail movements, Bengal has been “successful in reducing the positivity rate and the death rate and in improving the discharge rate”. She also pointed out that this is even though Bengal has been treating patients from outside countries and bordering states. She stressed that compared to other metropolitan regions in the country, Bengal has been “performing remarkably well”.
Banerjee also told the PM that health workers in Bengal, including the ASHA workers and Covid warriors, have been shouldering the battle against Covid. She said in Bengal ASHA workers have made 45 crore home visits to identify people with breathing distress and other ailments for early medical intervention. She said the fight against Covid has been “particularly complicated by co-morbidities” and it is now evident to all.