Minister for Health and Population, Hridayesh Tripathi, has said that Nepal has entered into a crucial phase in its fight against COVID-19 along with the preparations for the second phase of inoculation.
At an interaction programme with the media persons at the Ministry here on Sunday, Minister Tripathi shared that it was a significant achievement for Nepal to vaccinate the priority group people as well as the starting of the second priority group at a time when 101 countries across the world are still out of access to the vaccine.
In the first phase of vaccination driver, the government administered vaccine to frontline workers including health workers from January 27 to February 6.
Now, the government is starting the first phase to the second-priority people of above 55 years from March 7. The government has made preparations to inoculate vaccine to 20 per cent people of the total population to the first and second priority group.
Minister Tripathi said, "We have been able to bring vaccine soon through political and diplomatic initiatives. We made it available by removing the obstacles of the Public Procurement Act. Now, there is no situation of competition in procuring vaccine as it has been produced by some companies in limited countries".
