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After Bhutan and Maldives, Bangladesh and Nepal will be the next to receive Covishield vaccines from India with consignments of 20 lakh and 10 lakh doses to reach Dhaka and Kathmandu respectively on January 21, according to sources.
“As close neighbours and friends, Bangladesh and Nepal are among the first countries to receive the Indian government’s gift of Covid vaccines,” a source close to the development told BusinessLine .
On Wednesday, two consignments of 1.5 lakh doses of Covishield vaccines each, reached Bhutan and Maldives, the first two countries to get supplies from India. Supply to Bangladesh is fulfilment of the assurance given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the December 17, 2020 Virtual Summit that the vaccines would be supplied as and when ready, the source said.
“Nepal, too, had earlier requested for supply of Indian manufactured Covid vaccines. The request was reiterated during a recent visit to India by the Nepalese Foreign Ministers,” the official said.
Also read: Bhutan, Maldives to be the first recipients of India's gift of Covid-19 vaccines
The vaccines supplied are manufactured by Serum Institute of India in Pune and India takes pride in its timely delivery, the official added.
Shipments of the vaccines may also be sent soon to other countries, including Myanmar, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Mauritius, an industry source said. India rolled out the world’s biggest Covid-19 vaccination programmes on January 16 and vaccinated 6.3 lakh health workers on the first four days.
“Immunisation programme is being implemented in India, as in other countries, in a phased manner to cover the healthcare providers, frontline workers and the most vulnerable. Keeping in view the domestic requirements of the phased rollout, India will continue to supply Covid-19 vaccines to partner countries over the coming weeks and months in a phased manner. It will be ensured that domestic manufacturers will have adequate stocks to meet domestic requirements while supplying abroad,” according to a statement circulated by the Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday.
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