By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Jan. 27: With the dispatch of COVID-19 vaccines to all the seven provinces, the government is all set to kick off the first phase of the vaccination drive in Kathmandu from Wednesday.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is scheduled to virtually inaugurate the vaccination programme at 10 am on Wednesday.
Dr. Jhalak Sharma Gautam, Director at the Child Health and Immunisation Service Section of the Department of Health Services (DoHS) of MoHP, informed that vaccination centres had been established in 17 hospitals in three districts of the Kathmandu Valley. Of the 17 centres, 12 are set up in Kathmandu, three in Lalitpur and two in Bhaktapur.
The vaccination centers in Kathmandu are set up at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH), Bir Hospital, Sukraraj Tropical & Infectious Disease Hospital (STIDH), Nepal Medical College Jorpati, Paropakar Maternity and Women's Hospital, Sahid Dharma Bhakta Organ Transplant Centre, Armed Police Force (APF) Balambu Hospital and at Sahid Gangalal Heart Hospital, among others.
Similarly, the designated vaccination centres in Lalitpur include Patan Academy of Health Sciences, KIST Medical College and the Anandaban Hospital.
Likewise, the designated vaccination centres in Bhaktapur district are Bhaktapur Hospital and at Korea Nepal Friendship Municipality Hospital. Dr. Gautam shared that inspection of all the vaccination centers had been completed.
Dr. Gautam said that the vaccines had already reached all seven provinces.
Meanwhile, the frontline health workers enlisted in priority will be administered the COVID-19 vaccines in all seven provinces via 62 hospitals and over 120 vaccination centers. The Immunisation Section has been preparing to provide the COVID-19 vaccine from 300 centers across all 77 districts within January 31.
One million doses of vaccines ‘Covishiled’ were brought to Nepal on January 21 under a grant assistance from the Indian government.
The Covishield vaccine is developed jointly by Oxford University and AstraZeneca Company and was produced by Serum Institute in India.
The District COVID-19 Vaccination Coordination Committee will monitor the vaccination in the respective districts.
The first phase of the vaccination campaign initiated by the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) will be completed in 10 days. Around 430,000 frontline workers will be immunised in the first phase.
Prior to completing the first phase vaccination campaign, the government is looking forward to bringing the vaccines needed for the second phase. The ministry will also be regulating the immunisation process in order to prevent the wastage of the vaccines.
The Health Ministry is also preparing to publish the name list of those health workers who have been administered the COVID-19 vaccine in order to ensure transparency. The inspection of immunisation will be done by District COVID-19 Vaccine Coordination Committee.

330 new cases
Meanwhile, with 303 new cases and 285 recoveries reported on Tuesday, Nepal’s COVID-19 caseload reached 270,092 today while 264,823 people have recovered till date. Likewise, with five new deaths, the COVID-19 related death toll has now reached 2,017, according to the latest MoHP data.
Meanwhile, according to our Mahhottari correspondent, preparation has been completed for the COVID-19 vaccination drive that will kick off from Wednesday, in the district.
This was informed at the district level vaccination coordination committee meeting held at the District Health Office (DHO) on Tuesday.
Around 2,230 people would be vaccinated in the district and the necessary vials