India hands over COVID vaccines to Nepal

The first dose of vaccines would be given to health workers, hospital staff, ambulance drivers among others working at hospitals’ mortuary department.

One million doses of COVID-19 vaccines provided by India as grant assistance were officially handed over to Nepal today.

Indian Ambassador to Nepal Vinay Mohan Kwatra handed over the vaccines to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in a brief programme organised at latter's residence in Baluwatar, Kathmandu.  

On the occasion, PM Oli was quoted in Rastriya Samachar Samiti as saying, "I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as the government and people of India for the generous grant of one million doses of Covid-19 vaccine to Nepal at this critical time when India is rolling out vaccination for its own people."

On the occasion, Ambassador Kwatra said as a close neighbour, India is delighted to provide assistance to Nepal, and it is committed to continuing health-related assistance to Nepal in the days ahead.

Earlier today, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Vinay Mohan Kwatra handed over the consignment of vaccines called 'Covishield' to Minister for Health and Population Hridayesh Tripathi at the Tribhuvan International Airport.

The vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd is also known as SARS-CoV-2 AZD 1222 or Oxford/AstraZeneca Vaccine.

On the occasion, Minister Tripathi thanked the Government of India for providing the vaccines as grant assistance even during the adverse situation. He said the vaccines would be helpful in controlling COVID-19.

It has been reported that the vaccines would be stored in the Central Storage at the Department of Health Services in Teku. It is said the Covishield vaccine was 70 per cent effective in India. The medicine can be stored between the temperature of minus two to minus eight degree Celsius.

The Indian ambassador was quoted in Rastriya Samachar Samiti as saying that COVID-19 pandemic would now come under control in Nepal with the availability of the vaccine.

Director of the Child Health and Vaccination Section at the Department, Dr Jhalak Sharma Gautam said the vaccines would be supplied to the province and district hospitals.

The government has the target of vaccinating 72 per cent of the total population against COVID-19. The one million doses of the vaccines brought in the first phase would be given to five lakh people in two doses.

The first dose of vaccines would be given to health workers, hospital’s staff, ambulance drivers among others working at hospitals’ mortuary department.

Moreover, the government has made preparations to bring 20 per cent of vaccines free of cost under the COVAX Facility mechanism. Apart from the vaccines coming under the COVAX mechanism which would be enough for 20 per cent of the population, the government will bring the remaining 52 per cent vaccines through the government-to-government, the public procurement regulations and bidding process.

The Indian government has announced to provide vaccine to its neighbouring countries including Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, the Maldives and Myanmar, and Seychelles — an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, off East Africa.