The first batch of COVID-19 vaccines under the COVAX partnership for Sri Lanka is sheduled to be arrive on March 7, said the State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and COVID-19 Disease Control Dr Sudharshani Fernandopulle. Accordingly, the country will receive 264,000 doses in the first stage, while in total Sri Lanka will receive 4.5 Million doses under the COVAX partnership.
Update:
First batch of COVAX vaccines to arrive on March 7
Ishara Mudugamuwa
The first batch of COVID-19 vaccines under the World Health Organisation’s COVAX partnership for Sri Lanka is scheduled to arrive on March 7, State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and COVID Disease Control Dr. Sudharshani Fernandopulle said.
Accordingly, the country will receive 264,000 doses in the first stage. Sri Lanka will receive 4.5 million doses under the COVAX partnership.
The State Minister was speaking at a ceremony held at the Chilaw General Hospital.
The State Minister further said that there is a slight decrease in the spread of COVID-19 globally including Sri Lanka and it is gratifying that Sri Lanka is one of the first countries in the world to initiate vaccination.
“According to the World Health Organization, 280 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been given worldwide so far, of which 75 percent have been given to only 10 countries and another 150 countries have not been able to vaccinate their citizens at all,” the State Minister said.
“The leadership commitment of the President to commence vaccination in Sri Lanka should be specially mentioned here and it was with his special intervention that the vaccination was launched in January,” the State Minister added.
The donation of 16 ICU beds to the Cardiology Unit of the Chilaw General Hospital, the donation of multi-parameter monitors, the opening of the Medical Laboratory built in response to COVID-19 and the opening of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Clinic Unit were also held at the event. The emergency beds were donated by the Rotary Club of Rotary International and the Rotary Club of Colombo in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
