‘If developed anywhere, Covid-19 vaccine will arrive here immediately’

Health Services Division Secretary Md Abdul Mannan has said if the vaccine of Covid-19 is developed anywhere, it will immediately arrive in Bangladesh.

Many countries, including the United Kingdom and China, are very near to developing the vaccine, he added while addressing an online special meeting of the National Technical Advisory Committee at the Secretariat Monday morning, according to a press release.

"Those countries with a per capita income below $4,000 will get the vaccine for free. Since the per capita income of Bangladesh is close to $2,000, this vaccine will be available for free in Bangladesh," said Abdul Mannan.

The government has a plan to gradually distribute the vaccine among at least 80 percent of the country's population. At the same time, the government will take proper measures to bring the vaccine and distribute it among the people, he assured. 

Besides, the health sector has 3 lakh testing kits in stock, while more kits will be imported, said the secretary.   

The stocked kits will help continue testing for at least one month even if we test 10,000 people per day, Mannan claimed.

"Of course, we will be able to import some more kits by this time. So there is no crisis in coronavirus test in the country. More initiatives will be taken to increase the Covid-19 test," he said.

Director General (DG) of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Professor Dr Abul Kalam Azad, and Additional Secretary (Administration wing) of Health Services Division Sheikh Muzibar Rahman, among other senior health department officials, participated in the event.

Dr Mohammad Shahidullah, president of the National Technical Advisory Committee, hosted the meeting.  

Abul Kalam Azad, the DG of the DGHS, said, "We all have to work together taking lessons from the past. There is no lack of coordination between the health ministry and health directorate."   

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital Vice-Chancellor Professor Kanak Kanti Barua said that the number of coronavirus tests in the country decreased.

"The number of tests needs to be increased to deal with the Covid-19. However, the situation is improving day by day," he added.

Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad (Swachip) President Professor Iqbal Arslan said that a large number of beds are lying empty in Covid-19 hospitals. So, why patients are not getting admitted needs to be looked into, he added. 

Meerjady Sabrina Flora, member secretary of the committee, said that the infected people should be immediately isolated from other family members. It will help to reduce the number of infection among the family members, she said. 

At the meeting, Bangaldesh Medical Association President Mustafa Jalal Mohiuddin expressed his views on the recruitment of a medical officer in the post of director or director general of CMSD.  

Former vice-chancellor of BSMMU Dr Pran Gopal Datta said that special initiatives should be taken to provide services to non-Covid-19 patients in hospitals.