Nepal’s government plans to buy 4 million doses of the corona vaccine from a Chinese sinopharm company.
A cabinet meeting on Monday agreed with the Ministry of Health and Population to move ahead with the corona vaccine procurement process, a minister said.
When Nepal offered to buy the vaccine, the Chinese company had said that it should enter into a ‘non-disclosure agreement’ without disclosing the issues including price. That is why the Department of Health Services could not proceed with the procurement process.
However, the government has agreed to a “non-disclosure agreement” as per the Chinese proposal after the procurement process with other companies did not move forward. A minister says, ‘There was a discussion in the cabinet on Monday. Today, we also asked in the board of directors of Kovid-19. The Prime Minister has informed that 4 million will be purchased and the first lot will come within a month.
However, existing Nepali law does not allow for a ‘non-disclosure agreement’. The government has said something about how to address it. Another minister said a government spokesman would provide formal information on the cabinet’s decision.
Speaking at the Covid-19 Board of Directors meeting on Wednesday, Prime Minister Oli said that vaccination was mandatory to control covid and homework was being done to bring 4 million doses.
Stating that efforts are being made with other countries to purchase the vaccine, he informed that the citizens will be vaccinated from next summer.
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