KATHMANDU: Covishield, the vaccine against COVID-19, would be administered from 17 vaccination centers in Kathmandu Valley.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is scheduled to inaugurate the vaccination amidst a virtual program at 10 am on Wednesday.

Seventeen hospitals in the Valley have been designated as the vaccination centers, Dr. Jhalak Sharma Gautam, Director of the Child Health and Vaccination Section at the Department of Health Services, said.

According to him, there will be 12 vaccination centers in Kathmandu, three vaccination centers in Lalitpur, and two vaccination centers in Bhaktapur.

The vaccination centers in Kathmandu are the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, the Bir Hospital, the Shukraraj Tropical, and Communicable Disease Hospital, Nepal Medical College Jorpati, the Paropakar Maternity and Women’s Hospital, the Sahid Dharma Bhakta Organ Transplant Centre, the Armed Police Force (APF) Balambu Hospital and the Sahid Gangalal Hospital etc.

Similarly, the designated vaccination centers in Lalitpur include Patan Academy of Health Sciences, KIST Medical College, and the Anandaban Hospital.

Likewise, the designated vaccination centers in Bhaktapur are the Bhaktapur Hospital and the Korea Friendship Hospital.

Director Gautam said an inspection has been carried out today at the hospitals designated as vaccination centers in the Kathmandu Valley.

In the inauguration program, vaccines would be administered simultaneously at the 62 hospitals and more than 120 vaccination centers in all seven provinces.

The Section has made preparation for administering vaccines through 300 vaccination centers in the 77 districts within January 31.

One million doses of vaccines were brought to Nepal from India on January 21. The Indian government had provided the vaccines under the grant assistance.

Dr Gautam said the vaccines have reached all the provinces. The Ministry of Health and Population will conclude the vaccination campaign within 10 days of the launching of the first phase of vaccination. Four hundred thirty thousand persons would be given the vaccines in the first phase.

The government is making preparation to bring vaccines for the next phase of vaccination before the conclusion of the first-phase vaccination.

The Covishield vaccine has been developed jointly by the Oxford University and the AstraZeneca pharmaceutical company. The vaccines have been manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.

The District COVID-19 Vaccination Coordination Committee will monitor the vaccination in the respective districts.

Two hundred sixty-nine thousand 789 people are infected with COVID-19 while 2,011 people have died due to the coronavirus infection so far in Nepal, the Ministry of Health has stated.