India continues to provide COVID-19 vaccines to neighboring countries and other countries that have asked for help during these difficult times. Currently, India has shipped COVID-19 vaccines to Bahrain and Sri Lanka.
Last month a high-level health delegation from Myanmar was here on a visit to firm up plans to procure COVID-19 Vaccines. India has earlier supplied vaccines to Myanmar to provide aid in its battle against COVID-19.
Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government’s Vaccine Maitri initiative, India dispatched COVID-19 vaccines to Bahrain and Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka will be provided with a consignment of 50,400 doses of vaccines while Bahrain will receive 10,800 doses.
Bahrain had endorsed Covishield to support its efforts to vaccinate members at risk of developing complications from COVID-19.
The Covishield vaccine shipment was loaded at Mumbai Airport which left at 7.55 am for Manama while another shipment left for Colombo at 9 am.
The vaccine, Oxford-Astrazeneca’s Covishield, has been manufactured by Serum Institute of India and was approved for use by the government’s drug regulatory board recently.
Earlier, India has sent the vaccines to several countries including Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives.
Last year, in May 2020, India had sent 12.5 tons of medical supplies to the country to deal with the pandemic. Under mission Sagar 1, supplies were sent onboard Indian navy ships to 5 Indian ocean countries including Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, India has supplied COVID-19 vaccines to neighboring countries including Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh under Neighbourhood First policy.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday had announced vaccine rollout for several countries from January 20.
India sees international cooperation in the area of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as its duty; New Delhi has played the role of the first responder in the region.
The old strategic partners of India- West Asia and Oman are also interested in acquiring the vaccine from India.
“The government of India has shown goodwill by proving vaccines in a grant. This is at people’s level, it is the public who is suffering the most from the battle against COVID-19,” said Nepal’s minister of Health and Population Hridayesh Tripathi.
