'Promise fulfilled', says Indian envoy as vaccine reaches Nepal within a week

Nepal has received a consignment of 1 million samples of "Made in India" Covid vaccines -- within a week of it requesting India.

Nepal's foreign minister Pradeep Gyawali had spoken to Indian authorities in last Friday's India-Nepal sixth joint commission meeting in Delhi.

A plane carrying Serum Institute of India-manufactured Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine -- COVISHIELD reached Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport.

Present on the occasion were Nepal Health Minister Hridayesh Tripathi, Minister of State Nabaraj Rawat, Secretary Laxman Aryal and Indian envoy to Nepal Vinay Mohan Kwatra.

The Indian envoy said, "In exactly a week’s time, we have the actual consignment right here in front us on the land of Nepal." 

Nepal is among the six countries that received Indian-manufactured Covid vaccines within five days of India's own domestic roll-out. Other five countries are -- Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Seychelles. 

Calling it gifting of vaccine a "special moment", Kwatra said, "It is a moment that is synonymous with the deep and abiding friendship between both countries" and "the people of Nepal, their safety and prosperity has always been at the heart of all our bilateral ventures with Nepal and so is this gift of COVID19 vaccines." 

"We stand with Nepal in defeating the virus and we will do whatever it takes in our joint fight to prevail over the pandemic. The vaccines are a gift from the people of India to the people of Nepal," he added.

The vaccine is expected to help Nepal in dealing with its immediate requirement for vaccinating Nepal’s COVID warriors -- the health care and the frontline workers. 

India has provided more than 25 tonnes of essential medicines, equipment and medical supplies to Nepal during the pandemic. The Indian support includes Paracetamol, Hydroxychloroquine, PPEs, diagnostic test kits, ventilators, and Remdesivir injections under grant assistance worth US$ 2 million.