Damak, Aug 4 : Around three thousand Bhutanese refugees living in camps in Damak of Jhapa and in Pathari Sanischare of Eastern Morang have been immunized against COVID-19.     

The Johnson & Johnson vaccines were administered to this many refugees above 18 years through the local health office. 

   
The jabs were given to the refugees through coordination of the Government of Nepal and United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). The vaccination drive was managed by the Refugee Management Committees at these places, said Champa Singh Rai, the secretary at the Refugee Camp Management Committee, Sanischare.   

 
According to Rai, 856 out of the total 1,500 refugees at the Pathari Refugee Camp were immunized while 2,307 refugees received the jabs at the Beldangi Camp in Damak.    

The Chief District Officers of both the districts and representatives of the donor agencies, among others had monitored the vaccination programme.    

Joint-secretary at the Beldangi Camp Management Committee, TB Rai said a data released four months back showed the total number of Bhutanese refugees at 6,500 in Jhapa and Morang.    

Meanwhile, a fund of Rs 4 million 175 thousand has been collected under the Coronavirus Pandemic Control Campaign operated by Damak Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Chamber president Gokul Shrestha said the fund has been collected for the purchase of various medical appliances including ventilators.