Govt pays Indian company Rs 930 million to buy Covid-19 vaccines

Kathmandu, February 18

The government says it has already paid Rs 930 million to India’s Serum Institute to buy two million doses of Covishield Covid-19 vaccines.

The Department of Health Services Director-General Dipendra Raman Singh says the full payment required for the purchase has been made as per the cabinet’s decision to release the payment in advance. Now, the vaccines will arrive within two weeks, according to Dr Singh.

After the arrival of the jabs, the government will vaccinate senior citizens above the age of 60 years, according to Health Minister Hridayesh Tripathi.

It has been learned that the Indian company will send the vaccines in two lots with one million in each. This is in consideration of the limited storage capacity of Nepal, according to the officials.

Meanwhile, the government expects 2.2 million doses from the Covax programme of the World Health Organisation within February.

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