Bhubaneswar, Feb. 26 -- Bhubaneswar: With vaccination holding key in the fight against coronavirus, the Odisha government on Friday requested the Centre to allow private hospitals empanelled under the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) as COVID-19 vaccination sites.

The move assumes significance as the 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.

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.

It is pertinent to mention h...