New Delhi (NVI): The United States has applauded India for supplying million doses of its COVID-19 vaccines to different South Asian nations including Maldives, Bhutan and Bangladesh.
The US Department of State called India a ‘true friend’, who is using its pharmaceutical sector to help the global community.
Taking to Twitter, the State SCA (the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs in US State Department) said, “We applaud India’s role in global health, sharing millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccine in South Asia. India’s free shipments of vaccine began w/Maldives, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal and will extend to others.”
We applaud India’s role in global health, sharing millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccine in South Asia. India's free shipments of vaccine began w/Maldives, Bhutan, Bangladesh & Nepal & will extend to others. India's a true friend using its pharma to help the global community.
— State_SCA (@State_SCA) January 22, 2021
“India’s a true friend using its pharma to help the global community,” it added in a tweet.
In past few days, India has supplied COVID-19 vaccines manufactured in the country, to neighbouring countries including Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and the Maldives under grant assistance in sync with its “Neighbourhood First” policy, according to the media reports.
Yesterday, large consignments of ‘Covishield’ vaccine doses, which is manufactured by Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) was flown in special Indian aircraft to Seychelles, Mauritius and Myanmar.
The consignment containing 1.5 million doses of Covishield vaccine was dispatched to Myanmar, 50,000 doses went to Seychelles and 1 lakh to Mauritius, the media reports said.
Apart from this, contractual supplies are also being undertaken to Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Morocco, Bangladesh and Myanmar, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated.
Earlier, the MEA spokesperson said that in an ongoing effort, India will continue to supply countries all over the world with vaccines.
“Keeping in view the domestic requirements of the phased rollout, India will continue to supply COVID-19 vaccines to partner countries over the coming weeks and months in a phased manner,” the MEA had said in a statement.
-RJV
