Minister reviews progress of vaccine trial at AIIMS-Patna

PATNA: Union minister of state for health and family welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey on Saturday reviewed the progress of human trial of indigenous

Covid-19

vaccine – Covaxin – at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-Patna through a telephonic conversation with the institute’s director Dr Prabhat Kumar Singh.

“A team of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is monitoring the development of the vaccine, which has been jointly developed by the National Institute of Virology-Pune and Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) in collaboration with ICMR. Special focus has been laid on screening and safety of the volunteers who have been shortlisted for trials,” Choubey said.

The Union minister added VITROS ECiQ Immunodiagnostic System would be installed at AIIMS-Patna within a week for Covid tests.

Choubey said officials of the Union health ministry are in constant touch with the Bihar government for tackling Covid-19 pandemic. “After Bihar government’s request for treatment of Covid-19 at private healthcare centres, several social organisations have come forward for the same. An arrangement like this will not just make Covid-19 treatment more hassle-free, but also lessen the burden on government hospitals,” he added.

“There should be at least 20,000 to 25,000 tests per day in Bihar. All necessary medical equipment and other resources will be made available according to the needs of the state,” Choubey said.