Govt approves Tk735cr allocation for Covid-19 vaccination programme

The government has approved the Tk735 crore allocation for purchasing 30 million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine which is likely to come to the local market at the end of January next year, according to a source at the finance ministry.

The Finance Division on Sunday approved the allocation of Tk735.76cr, reads a letter signed by Joint Secretary Dr Mahammad Abu Yusuf which was sent to different officials of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

According to the letter, the finance division disbursed Tk735.76 crore to buy vaccines, for transportation and maintaining cold chain for running the vaccination programme across the country.

As per the allocation, the vaccines will cost Tk 643.11 crore, transportation will cost Tk2.98 crore, training will require Tk12.80 crore, and medical instruments a further Tk56.53 crore.

There is no allocation for surveys, as initially demanded by the health ministry.

On November 16, the Finance Division disbursed the same amount of fund to purchase the vaccine from Serum Institute of India (SII) to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

In the first week of November, the health ministry signed an agreement with local drug maker Beximco Pharmaceuticals Limited in this regard.

“We will receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine at the end of January,” Health Minister Zahid Maleque told media on Sunday.

Around 30 million vaccines will be given to the frontline workers of the country, including doctors and nurses.

And later, the UN will provide more 40 million vaccines free of cost in March or April, he added

On December 18, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during virtual summit with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said India promised to promptly and effectively deliver the vaccines being produced at SII.