Image Source : FILE/PTI Vaccine diplomacy: Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan & Maldives get India’s anti-COVID-19 doses
Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and the Maldives have acquired India’s COVID-19 vaccines beneath grant help in sync with its “Neighbourhood First” coverage. India is likely one of the world’s greatest drugmakers and an rising variety of international locations have already approached it for procuring the coronavirus vaccines.
India has already rolled out a large coronavirus vaccination drive beneath which two vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin, are being administered to frontline well being staff throughout the nation.
On Thursday, Bangladesh and Nepal acquired COVID-19 vaccines from India.
Indian Ambassador to Nepal Vinay Mohan Kwatra handed over the vaccine consignment to Prime Minister Okay P Sharma Oli throughout a perform on the Prime Minister’s residence at Baluwatar.
Health Minister Hridayesh Tripathi and senior authorities officers have been additionally current on the event.
In the primary section, the vaccines shall be administered to frontline well being staff, staff and safety personnel, based on Tripathi.
India additionally handed over 2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Bangladesh beneath grant help.
The vaccines have been supplied to Bangladesh at an important time when the variety of coronavirus circumstances on this nation was rising.
“India had stood by Bangladesh during the (1971) Liberation War, and today, when the pandemic is rattling the world, India again came with gifts of vaccines,” Bangladesh international minister Dr AK Abdul Momen stated.
Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami handed over the vaccines formally to Momen at a proper perform in Dhaka.
On Wednesday, Bhutan and the Maldives grew to become the primary two international locations to obtain the COVID-19 vaccines from India.
India despatched 150,000 doses of Covisheild vaccines to Bhutan and 100,000 doses to the Maldives.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar shared on Twitter images of the consignments reaching the 2 international locations.
Bhutanese Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji thanked India for the “generous gift”.
“Our profound gratitude to the GoI (Government of India) for the beneficiant present of 150,000 doses of Covishield vaccines that Bhutan acquired as we speak.
Deeply grateful to GoI for its abiding friendship and unconditional help to Bhutan’s battle towards the COVID-19 pandemic,” he stated on Twitter.
Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, in a tweet, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the vaccines.
“A short while ago, a flight from India with a 100,000 doses of the CoviShield vaccine arrived in the Maldives, renewing our hopes for a resolution to the Covid 19 crisis soon. Our heartfelt thanks to PM @narendramodi,” he stated.
It is learnt {that a} consignment containing 1.5 million doses of Covisheild vaccines will attain Myanmar on Friday.
In a significant announcement, India on Tuesday stated it would ship COVID-19 vaccines beneath grant help to 6 international locations — Bhutan, the Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Seychelles from Wednesday and provides to Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Mauritius will start after affirmation of vital regulatory clearances.
The Ministry of External Affairs stated India will provide COVID-19 vaccines to associate international locations over the approaching weeks and months in a phased method conserving in view the home necessities.
In an announcement, the MEA stated India has acquired a number of requests for the availability of Indian-manufactured vaccines from neighbouring and key associate international locations.
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