PM Modi to address COVID-19 workshop for 9 neighbouring countries, Pakistan to participate

As India leads the fight against COVID-19 with the Centre and State Governments working in close cooperation to keep the virus surge under control, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday is scheduled to address a workshop on "COVID-19 Management : Experience, Good Practices and Way Forward". As India hosts the workshop, what comes as a surprise is nine neighbouring countries including Pakistan is said to participate in the workshop. The countries to participate in the workshop include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka.

The hostile neighbour had opted for Serum Institute Manufactured Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines via the Covax route and not under a direct request to India, as other neighbouring nations having friendly ties sought vaccines directly from India.

India's Vaccine Maitri

India has supplied Covid-19 vaccines to over 20 countries under its initiative 'Vaccine Maitri' as a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pledge to assist other countries to combat and overcome the challenges of the pandemic. India provided over 229 lakh doses of coronavirus vaccines to various countries out of which 64 lakh doses have been supplied as grant assistance and 165 lakh on a commercial basis, the External Affairs Ministry said on February 12.

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"As of date, we have supplied a total of 229.7 lakh doses to the global community. Of these, 64.7 lakh doses have been supplied as a grant while 165 lakh doses have been supplied on a commercial basis," said MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava.

Srivastava informed the consignments of Coronavirus vaccine doses were supplied as gifts to Bangladesh (20 lakh), Myanmar (17 lakh), Nepal (10 lakh), Bhutan (1.5 lakh), the Maldives (1 lakh), Mauritius (1 lakh), Seychelles (50,000), Sri Lanka (5 lakh), Bahrain (1 lakh), Oman (1 lakh), Afghanistan (5 Lakhs), Barbados (1 Lakh) and Dominica (70,000), while adding that countries which received vaccines on a commercial basis are Brazil (20 lakh), Morocco (60 lakh), Bangladesh (50 lakh), Myanmar (20 lakh), Egypt (50,000), Algeria (50,000), South Africa (10 lakh), Kuwait (2 lakh) and UAE (2 lakh).

Moreover, India has undertaken mass vaccination drives on a mission mode with 87,40,595 doses being administered till Tuesday, February 16, according to the Health Ministry.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, "Rajasthan, Sikkim, Jharkhand, Mizoram, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, Tripura & Bihar, Chhattisgarh, MP, Uttarakhand, Lakshwadeep, Tripura administered the first doses of vaccine to more than 70% of the registered healthcare workers. Meanwhile, Ladakh, Jharkhand, Assam, UP, Telangana, Tripura, Gujarat and Goa have administered the second dose to more than 60% of the eligible healthcare workers."

The Centre aims to complete the vaccination drive of frontline workers by March 6. Union Joint Health Secretary Mandeep Bhandari on February 12, said at least one round of vaccination must be scheduled by March 1. Stating those who have not been vaccinated for any reason must be vaccinated by March 6.

(With ANI inputs)

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