Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Mamata Banerjee will use the webcasting platform to interact with health workers in poll-bound Bengal on the first day of the country-wide roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccination process on Saturday.

During Modi’s address in the morning, he is likely to interact with health workers at two vaccination centres in Bengal — SSKM in Calcutta and North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri — through the webcasting platform.

Mamata, however, will interact with health workers at vaccination camps of her choice around 1pm and can reach out to any of the 204 centres across Bengal.

“Two hospitals — SSKM in Calcutta and North Bengal Medical College and Hospital — have been chosen for interactive sessions with the Prime Minister though his office can connect to any centre. Similarly, all centres will be able to listen to the chief minister on Saturday afternoon and it will be up to her to decide which centres to interact with,” said a senior health official.

Sources in the state health department said the Union health ministry had asked them to keep ready at least two vaccination centres at prime locations of the state to facilitate an interaction with the Prime Minister around 10.30 on Saturday morning.

The two centres will be among at least 60 across the country where Modi will interact directly with the people connected with the vaccination.

The sources said the chief minister was equally eager to ensure that the first day of the vaccination process went off smoothly and she would keep a watch on the proceedings through the webcasting facility from Nabanna.

Officials fine-tune arrangements for webcasting at a vaccinating centre in Bolpur on Friday. Amarnath Dutta

Mamata’s concern for a smooth roll-out of the vaccination process was evident during the virtual meeting that Modi had with chief ministers on January 11. The controversy about the safety and efficacy of the two vaccines had prompted Mamata to ask Modi whether “adequate scientific confirmation” had been taken by the Centre in favour of Covishield and Covaxin.

However, she was assured by Niti Ayog member Vinod K. Paul that both the vaccines were based on scientific evidence and completely safe.

Speaking about the preparedness for the drive, a senior health department official in Birbhum said that the first jab was expected to be given at 9am and the drive would continue till 4pm. Each centre will vaccinate 100 health workers on a day, the official added.

“Saturday will be a very challenging day for us as we have to carry out the vaccination process throughout the day,” said a health official.

“According to the directive, those who have been shortlisted for vaccination can turn up for the jab between 9am and 4pm. Although a text message will be sent to each of the beneficiaries, we are personally contacting them to avoid rush at the camps,” said an official in Birbhum.

As a finishing touch to the preparations for Saturday’s roll-out, officials of Union health ministry took the final class of vaccinators through video-conference on Friday and advised them to follow the guidelines diligently.

The sources said officials had been asked to request the enlisted persons to come for the jabs with Aadhaar cards. The identity proof would be required to register the beneficiaries on the portal set-up for the vaccination programme.