53 million doses of anti-COVID vaccines ensured: Umesh Shrestha, Minister of State for Health

Minister of State for Health, Umesh Shrestha, has said a smooth supply of vaccination against COVID-19 is the top priority of the government. Minister of State Shrestha said it during a meeting of the Education and Health Committee under the House of Representatives on Thursday.

He shared that nearly 300 thousand people were getting vaccines every day. "Anti-COVID-19 vaccination drive has been intensified, the plan is afoot to augment the present drive to vaccinate 500,000 people every day," Minister of State Shrestha added.

So far, 9 million doses of vaccines were administered in the country where 4 million (13 per cent) got double doses.  Similarly, 18 percent have got the first dose. "The government has ensured the 53 million doses," he informed the parliamentary committee.

Shrestha further said remote districts were prioritized by the government in terms of vaccination. The vaccines sent by Japan government were allocated for the students and they are getting it now.  As per the goal of vaccinating 60,000 students in the Kathmandu Valley, 23,000 were vaccinated so far.

Province-1 and Province-2 were sent adequate doses of vaccines. Efforts are underway to send the vaccines to other provinces.

According to the Minister of State Shrestha, the discussion was held with the Indian Ambassador to Nepal on importing one million doses of anti-COVID vaccines to which the Nepal government had already paid. So, India would provide the vaccines soon.

He also shared the plan that minors (below 18 years) would be provided Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. The government was planning to hold Grade 12 exams in the last week of Bhadra or the first week of Asoj. The exams would be held managing home centres, he added.

Currently, 135 vaccine centres were being used to administer vaccines in the Kathmandu Valley.

At the meeting, the Minister of State Shrestha informed the lawmakers that the vaccination drive was not intensified for lack of necessary human resources. The employees would be managed soon.

Lawmakers attending the meeting put forth queries before the Minister. They drew the government's attention to expedite the vaccination drive to save people and restore economic activities.