By TRN Online, Kathmandu, Jan. 26: The 'Covishield' vaccines received under a grant from India will be administered in the Kathmandu Valley from 16 vaccination centers.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will be virtually inaugurating the vaccination programme at 10:00 am on Wednesday morning.

Dr. Jhalak Sharma Gautam, director of the child health and immunisation department informed that vaccination centers had been formed in 17 hospitals in the valley of which, 12 are in Kathmandu, three are in Lalitpur, and two in Bhaktapur.

The vaccination centers have been installed in TU Teaching Hospital, Bir Hospital, Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, Kathmandu Medical College, Jorpati, Paropakar Maternity and Women's Hospital, Sahid Dharma Bhakta National Transplant Center, Nepal APF Hospital, Balambu, Sahid Gangalal Memorial Hospital, Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Kist Medical College, Anandaban Hospital, Bhaktapur Hospital, and Nepal Korea Friendship Municipality Hospital.

Gautam said that inspection of all the vaccination centers had already been done. 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.

Likewise, the department has been preparing to provide the COVID-19 vaccine from 300 centers across all 77 districts within January 31.

Dr. Gautam said that the vaccines had already reached all seven provinces.

The first phase of the vaccination campaign initiated by the Ministry of Health and Population will be completed within 10 days. Around 430,000 workers on the front line 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 Covishield vaccine was developed jointly by Oxford University and AstraZeneca Company and was produced by Serum Institute in India.

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.