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India may resume sending Covid-19 vaccines to Sri Lanka in July-August
BY S VENKAT NARAYAN Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, June 23: Depending on the scale of production of Covid-19 vaccines, within the country, India is aiming at July-end or August to at least release those vaccines that have been bought by Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal and are now in pending status, it is learnt.
The supplies to Bhutan, which received vaccines from India as grants, will be prioritised, too.
India, the largest vaccine producer in the world, started sending Covid shots abroad, both as grants as well as commercial shipments, from 20 January onwards under an initiative labelled ‘Vaccine Maitri’ (Vaccine Friendship). However, as India started facing a vaccine shortage, domestically, this came to a halt in April. India had shipped over 66 million doses abroad by then.
With the Indian initiative suspended, China as well as Russia have stepped in to offer their Covid shots to countries in South Asia.
After initial hiccups in the domestic Covid vaccination drive, caused by shortages, India has launched a policy under which the central government will be the sole public sector vaccine buyer in the country. On the first day of its rollout Monday, over eight million people were vaccinated against Covid-19.
The boost in numbers has encouraged the Union government to begin planning for the release of the pending Covid vaccines in the neighbourhood.
According to informed sources, the Narendra Modi Government believes that if India can maintain the record number of Covid-19 vaccinations, it will reach a position by August when shipments to other countries can be resumed.
“If the number of vaccinations that we saw on Monday continues, then the government expects that 40 per cent of the population can be covered by August and we will have a situation when herd immunity will kick in,” said a source.
“There are high chances that is when we can safely resume the shipments. It won’t be like before so soon but, of course, for the neighbourhood, we are responsible,” the source added.
However, the sources also said that, if and when the exports are resumed, it will only be for the neighbourhood since they are of “topmost priority”, and because some of them have also made payments to procure vaccines from India.
While other countries will get support from the US and other nations, it is the immediate neighbourhood that needs India’s attention. The vaccine distribution announced by the US will address concerns of the Caribbean and African countries. India believes it is time Europe stops “cornering” the vaccines and begins distribution in a significant way, said a senior government official.
According to another official, “no exports will take place unless the domestic vaccinations are really high”.
“It has to be a quick political call. Of course, the idea is to release the paid ones first. But priority now is domestic over exports. A lot depends on how much production we can ramp up,” the official added.
External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar had said in an interview to Bloomberg Tuesday that he sees India “playing a global role in vaccine supply… as the production picks up again”.
When India started its vaccine programme, he said, “we were living up to our obligations with the Covax (WHO-backed initiative for equitable access to vaccines). We were supplying to some of our neighbours”.
Talking about the halt in Vaccine Maitri in April, he added: “Now, when the second wave hit us, obviously we looked to purpose the deployment of vaccines primarily at home.”
Students from Karavita Central College, Ratnapura, St. Anthony Girls’ College, Katugasthota and Rajasinghe Central College, Ruwanwella, visited the Presidential Secretariat today (19).
This visit was part of a program jointly organized by the Presidential Secretariat, the Ministry of Education, and the Mass Communication Division of the Parliament. The program offers schoolchildren from across the island the opportunity to visit key government institutions, including the Presidential Secretariat, the President’s House, the Colombo Port City, and the Parliament.
During their visit to the Presidential Secretariat, the students were given an informative session about the history of the Parliament.
To commemorate the occasion, the principals and students of the visiting schools presented commemorative gifts to Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, the Secretary to the President. In return, Dr. Kumanayake presented a valuable tree as a souvenir to be planted in each of the schools.
Later, Dr. Kumanayake engaged in a friendly conversation with the students, creating a memorable interaction.
Senior Advocate J.M. Wijebandara, the Director General Legal of the Presidential Secretariat, was also present at the event.
[PMD]
Newly appointed Deputy Ministers of the National People’s Power (NPP) government were sworn in today (21) before President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential Secretariat.
The new Deputy Ministers are as follows:
- Prof. Anil Jayantha Fernando : Deputy Minister of Economic Development
- Mr. Namal Karunarathne : Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock
- Mr. Wasantha Piyathissa : Deputy Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment
- Mr. Nalin Hewage : Deputy Minister of Vocational Education
- Mr. R.M. Jayawardena : Deputy Minister of Trade, Commerce and Food Security
- Mr. Gamagedara Dissanayake : Deputy Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs
- Mr. T.B. Sarath : Deputy Minister of Housing
- Mr. Rathna Gamage : Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources
- Mr. Mahinda Jayasinghe : Deputy Minister of Labour
- Mr. Aruna Jayasekara : Deputy Minister of Defence
- Mr. Arun Kemachandra : Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment
- Mr. Anton Jayakody : Deputy Minister of Environment
- Mr. Mohommed Muneer : Deputy Minister of National Integrity
- Eng. Eranga Weerarathne : Deputy Minister of Digital Economy
- Mr. Eranga Gunasekara :Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs
- Mr. Chathuranga Abeysinghe : Deputy Minister of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development
- Eng. Janith Ruwan Kodithuwakku : Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation
- Dr. Namal Sudarshana : Deputy Minister of Women and Child Affairs
- Mr. Ruwan Senarath : Deputy Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Governance
- Dr. Prasanna Kumara Gunasena : Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways
- Dr. Hansaka Wijemuni : Deputy Minister of Health and Media
- Mr. Upali Samarasinghe : Deputy Minister of Co-operative Development
- Mr. Ruwan Chaminda Ranasinghe : Deputy Minister of Tourism
- Mr. Sugath Thilakarathne : Deputy Minister of Sports
- Mr. Sundaralingam Pradeep : Deputy Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure
- Attorney Sunil Watagala : Deputy Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs
- Dr. Madhura Senevirathne : Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education
- Dr. Harshana Sooriyapperuma : Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning
- Dr. Susil Ranasinghe : Deputy Minister of Land and Irrigation
Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake was also present at the event.
Gampaha District Member of Parliament Hemali Weerasekara was unanimously elected as the Deputy Chairperson of Committees. Her nomination was proposed by Minister Sunil Handunnetti, and was seconded by Member of Parliament Samanmalee Gunasinghe.
The new Deputy Chairperson of Committees is a former member of the Mahara Pradeshiya Sabha and a professional laboratory technician. She completed her education at Yasodara Vidyalaya, Colombo and Devi Balika Vidyalaya, Colombo. She has been an active member of the NPP’s district and women’s executive committees.
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