Covid-19 vaccine reaches 61 districts: Beximco

The Covid-19 vaccine has reached 61 districts outside Dhaka. Beximco Pharmaceuticals has handed over the vaccine to the civil surgeons of those districts, said an official of the company.

Rabbur Reza, chief operating officer of Beximco Pharma, told The Business Standard, "All vaccines have been delivered to the districts with the cold chain maintained. Everything went smoothly. The work of our first phase is over now. Now we will work on bringing the vaccine for the second phase."

Earlier on Sunday morning, Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Prof Dr ABM Khurshid Alam told reporters that the vaccine will reach all the districts of the country by Monday.

He said, "The preparations for the distribution of the vaccine are in the final stage. The vaccine will reach all parts of the country by today or tomorrow. I can only say that there will be no more delays."

Vaccination centres have been set up at government hospitals in the upazilas across the country.

Vaccinations are due to start across the country on 7 February. More than 15,000 people have already registered on the surokkha.gov.bd website to get vaccinated.

ABM Khurshid Alam said the Surokkha app for Covid-19 vaccine registration will be available on the Google Play Store by 4 February.

Dr Khurshid Alam said, "Booths have already been set up at vaccination centres. The training of the vaccinators and volunteers is also in its final stages. We have a meeting tomorrow [Monday] with the focal persons of all the districts and upazilas. We will get feedback from them on what problems they are having, and fix those problems."

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the novel coronavirus vaccination program at Kurmitola General Hospital in Dhaka on 27 January. Then the Surokkha website was launched for vaccine registration.

When the mobile app is launched, it will also be possible to register for the vaccine through it. Everyone who is interested in being vaccinated must register.

The DGHS and the ICT Division will jointly assist those who are not able to register online, said the director general of the DGHS.

"In such cases, the government health offices will complete the registration process with the help of the staff of local ICT offices. There are laptops with internet connection in every upazila. We think that those who cannot register online can also go to the vaccination centres for registration. Our people will help them to register online," said Dr Khurshid Alam.

"When 100 people are registered in this way, we will give them a date to be vaccinated," he added.