India supplied over 58 million doses of COVID vax to 70 nations: Ashwini Kumar Choubey

NEW DELHI: The Indian government has supplied as many as 70 nations with over 58 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines so far, Parliament was informed on Tuesday.

In a reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Ashwini Kumar Choubey said that 583.85 lakh vaccine doses have been dispatched to foreign countries from India.

Bangladesh has emerged the biggest beneficiary, receiving 90 lakh doses from India.

Other recipients include India's neighbours such as Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar, North American nations such as Canada and Mexico, Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and the UAE, Caribbean islands such as St Lucia and St. Vincent & Grenadines, European nations like the UK and Serbia, South American nations like Brazil and Suriname, African countries like Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda and many others.

In press release on January 19, the Ministry of External Affairs had stated that "Immunisation programme is being implemented in India, as in other countries, in a phased manner to cover the Healthcare providers, frontline workers and the most vulnerable. Keeping in view the domestic requirements of the phased rollout, India will continue to supply COVID-19 vaccines to partner countries over the coming weeks and months in a phased manner. It will be ensured that domestic manufacturers will have adequate stocks to meet domestic requirements while supplying abroad."

Earlier, External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar had said that vaccinating the world along with India's own people comes as a moral responsibility for India. "Being the world's biggest vaccine manufacturer, it's natural that India will not just immunise its own population, but will extend it to the other parts of the world. The whole world trusts us on this," he had said. (IANS)

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