COVID-19 vaccination drive in Sri Lanka begins after India gifts 500,000 doses

Sri Lanka on January 29 kickstarted its mass vaccination drive against the novel coronavirus with ‘Made In India’ COVID-19 vaccine, a day after India gifted 5 lakh doses of Covishield vaccine to the island nation. Sharing images of the drive that began at the Army Hospital in Narahenpita, Indian Commission in Sri Lanka said that the jabs were administered on health workers in various hospitals across Colombo after the official launch. Several dignitaries including State Minister of Primary Health Services, Pandemics and Covid Prevention, Dr Sudarshini Fernandopulle, and India High Commissioner Gopal Baglay were present at the event. 

The first COVID-19 vaccine in Sri Lanka was given to Dr. Ananda Wijewickrema who is reportedly a specialist at the Army Hospital in Narahenpita, which was followed by doses being administered on other frontline workers amid the pandemic. Just last week, Sri Lanka’s drug regulatory body had given a nod to using of Oxford-AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate which is also manufactured by Serum Insitute of India (SII) in Pune. 

On January 28, India had donated 5 lakh doses of Covishield to Sri Lanka under the “Vaccine Maitri” initiative. On India’s noble gesture amid the global health crisis, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa tweeted expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and lauded India’s “generosity” towards the people of the island. 

As per reports, Sri Lanka plans to vaccinate nearly 150,000 health professionals and 120,000 tri-forces police along with other security officials. Vaccination drives will be conducted at  Colombo National Hospital, Colombo North and Colombo South Teaching Hospitals, Mulleriyawa Base Hospital, Homagama Base Hospital and National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Sri Lankan Ministry of Health said in a statement. 

Read - US 'carefully Reviewing' UN Report On Human Right Situation In Sri Lanka

Read - After India Sends Sri Lanka 5 Lakh COVID Vaccine Doses, China To Send 3 Lakh Of Its Own

'Dependable partner'

Minister of External Affairs Dr. S Jaishankar on Thursday had announced India as 'dependable partner' after Sri Lanka welcomed the first 500,000 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine from India. The island nation is also one of the eight countries that India is delivering COVID-19 vaccines amid the pandemic. 

Sri Lanka has recorded a near 61,000 cases till January 29, with 297 deaths from the pandemic since it was found in the island nation in mid-March last year. India is one of the world's biggest drugmakers and an increasing number of countries have already approached it for procuring coronavirus vaccines.

Read - Asia Today: Sri Lanka Vaccinates 1st Health Workers, Troops

Read - Carefully Reviewing UN Report On Human Rights Situation In Sri Lanka: US