Kathmandu, June 17
The government has decided to purchase four million doses of Covid-19 vaccines from the Sinopharm company of China as soon as possible.
A cabinet meeting held on Monday decided to approve the Health Ministry’s request for the purchase, informs a minister.
Earlier, the Chinese company had demanded that the purchase be made on a non-disclosure condition–that is the buyer cannot disclose the price elsewhere. Owing to the demand, the Department of Health Services had been unable to forward the process. But, now, without any other alternative, the government has given into the demand, the minister says.
Existing laws do not allow the non-disclosure agreement. Therefore, the government is working on how this could be sorted out.
“The prime minister has told the Covid-19 Crisis Management Centre meeting on Wednesday that the first lot of the vaccines will arrive within June,” the minister informs.
Meanwhile, Oli says efforts are underway to purchase vaccines from other countries also.
