ECC approves Rs20bn grant for procurement of COVID-19 vaccines
- By admaster -
- May 31, 2021
ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on Monday approved a technical supplementary grant of Rs20 billion for procurement of 10 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine next month, ARY News reported.
The ECC meeting chaired by Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin was specially called to provide a technical supplementary grant of USD 130 million to the National Disaster Management Fund to ensure timely procurement of Corona Vaccine for the effective national response to COVID-19 pandemic.
The funds will be utilized for the procurement of 10 million doses of the COVID vaccine during the month of June 2021.
According to the finance ministry, the need for additional funds will be reviewed during the next fiscal year and additional funds will be provided accordingly.
The administration of the vaccine will be the responsibility of the Ministry of National Health Services and Provincial Health Departments.
The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, Federal Minister for Privatization Muhammad Mian Soomro, Federal Minister for Railways Azam Swati, Adviser to the PM on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, Adviser to the PM on Institutional Reforms and Austerity Dr. Ishrat Hussain, SAPM on Finance and Revenue Dr. Waqar Masood, Finance Secretary and other senior officers.
It was learnt today that Pakistan likely to receive consignments of various Covid vaccines in June with over five million doses.
In first 10 days of the next month the shipments of over 3.5 mln doses of the vaccines expected to reach Pakistan, which includes the batches of Sinovac, Sinopharm and CanSino vaccines, sources said.
Read More: Pakistan to receive five mln doses of COVID-19 vaccines in June
Pakistan will likely to receive two consignments of COVID-19 vaccines from COVAX including Oxford AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines, according to sources.
A shipment of one million doses of Chinese made Sinopharm vaccine, purchased by Pakistan, will reach the country this week, sources said.
COVAX will also provide AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines in the beginning of June, according to sources.
A PIA plane landed at Islamabad airport yesterday with about 500,000 Sinovac Covid vaccines, sources inside the health ministry confirmed the development.
The new consignment of Covid vaccines, was shifted to the office of the federal Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), from where the vaccine will be assigned to various vaccination centers.