Kathmandu: The government has stated that there is no possibility of procuring additional Covid-19 vaccines immediately.
The Ministry of Health and Population said in a statement on Friday that it was not in a position to procure an additional of five million ‘Covishield’ vaccines from the Serum Institute of India.
“The Department of Drug Administration had procured two million doses of vaccine for emergency use at a cost of 4 USD. A total of one million vaccines have been already received. The company said it will ensure the supply of the remaining vaccines soon. It is not possible to procure additional of five million vaccines at present,” the ministry said in the statement.
The ministry also denied reports of obstruction in vaccine procurement process.
The ministry said that the vaccines of other companies have been approved by the DDA and are in the process of being received. “The government is making efforts through diplomatic and other means to obtain other vaccines,” the statement reads.
The ministry also denied reports of obstruction in vaccine procurement process.
“As the Department of Health Services will decide on the purchase of the vaccine, there is no truth in the reports of the involvement of the government and the Ministry of Health and Population,” the ministry claimed.
The government has been widely criticized after news that the procurement process was obstructed due to middlemen although the government had already paid in advance for procuring vaccines.
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