State Minister for Health and Population Umesh Shrestha has said that all Nepalis will be vaccinated against COVID-19 by mid-April next year.
Speaking at a foundation stone laying ceremony of new building of Chandeni Mandan Health Post at Mandandeupur Municipality in Kavre on Tuesday, he said that 33 per cent of the population would receive vaccine by mid-October and all the target people would be vaccinated by mid-April.
“Prime Minister and the government intend to provide vaccines to all the eligible citizens,” said State Minister Shrestha, adding vaccine was the only way to get rid of the coronavirus pandemic.
State Minister Shrestha said that the government had already concluded the purchase of 10 million doses of vaccines for children.
“Of them, 100,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines will arrive soon and children will be vaccinated by mid-November/December,” he said.
State Minister Shrestha added that 17.8 million doses of vaccines had already arrived in Nepal and that additional five million doses were on the way.
He said that the government was thinking about providing easy and accessible health services to the public.
“The government wants to have hospitals with all health services in each village,” said State Minister Shrestha. The government is working to establish 15-25-bed hospital in all 753 local levels across the nation, he added.
The central hospital is always overwhelmed, he said, adding that if all the medical students studying in government’s scholarship were mobilised in villages, the flow of patients in central hospital would come down.
On the occasion, Mayor Bishnu Mani Nepal informed that the building which was razed to the ground by 2015 earthquake was now being constructed with the fund provided by India.
According to Nepal, Rs. 20.8 million will be invested for the construction of health post building. According to the agreement, the building will be completed within 18 months.
Source : TRN,
