KARNALI: The COVID-19 vaccine, ‘Covishield’, provided by India under grant assistance has arrived in Karnali Province.

The 11 thousand 780 doses of the vaccine supplied by the Federal Government have been brought to Surkhet.

Earlier, the vaccines were kept in cold storage in Nepalgunj. The Provincial Health Services Directorate has made preparation to administer the vaccines from Wednesday.

Director at the Directorate Dr Rabin Khadka said the vaccines would be administered by making the 12 hospitals of Karnali as the vaccination centers.

According to him, the vaccination would be carried out at the eight district hospitals as well as the Provincial Hospital at Birendranagar, the Mehalkuna Hospital Surkhet, Karnali Academy of Health Sciences Jumla and Chaurajahari Community Hospital Paschim Rukum as the vaccination centers.

The vaccines would be transported by air from Nepalgunj to the mountainous districts of the Province, namely, Humla, Jumla, Mugu and Dolpa while it would be supplied by roadway from Surkhet to the remaining districts.

Around 24 thousand doses of the vaccine have arrived in the first phase, Khadka said.

The health workers, sanitation workers, security personnel deputed for managing the dead bodies of the infected persons, ambulance drivers and the women health volunteers would be vaccinated in the first phase.