KATHMANDU:  The Ministry of Health and Population has started collecting the names of individuals for inoculation against COVID-19 in the first phase.

The government has priorotized medical persons, health workers, women health volunteers, employees and office assistants working at local government levels for inoculation saying that they are working in the forefront.

According to the ministry, the names of health workers and staffers working at big hospitals and medical colleges are being collected from the Department of Health Services itself.

The preparations have been expedited on the expectation that Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali will take the initiative in bringing in COVID-19 vaccine during his upcoming visit to India, said the ministry.

“The government is planning to inoculate government staffers, especially health workers, working in the forefront,” said a highly placed source at the ministry, adding, “We are collecting names of staffers prioritized, managing vaccine storages and working on management of transport on the expectation that India might provide COVID-19 vaccine during Foreign Minister Gyawali’s India visit.”

Currently, the local units are collecting names those prioritized for inoculation in the first phase.

The government is making preparations to send vaccines to each district and inoculate as many as 52,000 women health volunteers in the first phase. Medical persons and health workers working in private health sector are also in the government’s priority, according to the ministry.