On Thursday, India is expected to send 5,00,000 doses of the Covishield vaccine to Sri Lanka.
It has been learned that the consignments are sent as a “gift” from India to the island country.
#UPDATE | Mumbai: Flight carrying the first consignment of COVID19 vaccine to Colombo, Sri Lanka from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, has departed. https://t.co/dkvFp7IdWZ
— ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2021
During last September’s virtual summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a promise to his Sri Lankan counterpart, Mahinda Rajapaksa, that India will provide the island nation with all possible support to minimize the health and economic effect of the coronavirus pandemic.
To date, India has sent shipments of coronavirus vaccines to Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Mauritius and Seychelles for assistance.
India started commercial exports last week and sent Brazil and Morocco two million doses each.
India is also sending coronavirus vaccines to Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Myanmar as commercial supplies.
In a major announcement, India announced on 19 January that it would send aid-granting COVID-19 vaccines to Bhutan, the Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Seychelles and that supplies to Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Mauritius would commence upon confirmation of the requisite regulatory approvals.
India is one of the world’s largest drug manufacturers and has already been approached by a growing number of countries to procure coronavirus vaccines.
A major coronavirus vaccination campaign has already been introduced by India in which two vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin, are being distributed across the country to frontline health staff.
While Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covishield is being manufactured by the Serum Institute, Covaxin is being produced by Bharat Biotech.
India had previously provided a vast number of nations with hydroxychloroquine, Remdesivir, and paracetamol tablets, as well as diagnostic kits, ventilators, masks, gloves, and other medical supplies to help them cope with the pandemic.