KATHMANDU: Minister for Health and Population Hridayesh Tripathi has said that the procurement process of coronavirus vaccine will be transparent and distribution will be fair.
Speaking at a press conference at the Ministry on Monday, Minister Tripathi said that the government has already made all preparations for the purchase and distribution of vaccine. He also said that the ministry is fully ready to distribute and inoculate people within seven days.
Minister Tripathi informed that about 16,000 vaccination centers will be mobilized for the vaccination program. He also said that 5,000 employees and 52,000 women health volunteers will be mobilized.
“The vaccine is coming,” he said. “Of course, we vaccinate in time and it will be organized as a national campaign. It will be distributed fairly. We have enough storage facility and we have also made sure for transportation.”
He also said that there was a problem in the supply as the procurement of vaccines was seen as a political commodity and not like other commercial commodities.
However, the government is taking political initiative to import vaccines, he said. Minister Tripathi clarified that he did not want to keep the private sector away from the procurement process.
He said that the government would first take initiative to procure vaccines and then liberalise vaccine import through private sector.
The government has made necessary plan to distribute vaccine first to the frontline health workers and other vulnerable people like people aged above 55 years and have underlying health condition.
He said “We are in the process of collecting data, and Finance Ministry has assured for budget.”
Minister Tripathi said that all the apprehensions raised during the vaccine procurement process would be proved false. He said he had already talked to the ambassadors of Russia, India and the UAE about bringing vaccines and that political initiatives were being taken with other countries producing vaccines.
