Serum Institute has no right to halt vaccine supply after Bangladesh paid in advance: Papon

Bangladesh desk: :  The Bangladesh government should exert pressure on Serum Institute of India (SII) to receive its rest of the vaccine doses, said Nazmul Hasan Papon, managing director of Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

He made the remarks while talking to newsmen after receiving the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine at Kurmitola General Hospital in the capital early Saturday afternoon.

Papon said, “Bangladesh paid the Serum Institute in advance to get vaccine. No other country paid in advance. So, they must have to deliver vaccine to us. We’re not seeking any donation, rather we’re demanding our vaccine which we bought paying in adavnce.”

According to the agreement with Serum Institute, Bangladesh was supposed to receive 1.5 crore doses of vaccine. The government has also paid the SErum Institute entire amount, but received only 70 lakh doses. “The government should exert pressure on Serum to get the rest 80 lakh doses of vaccine,” he said.

Bangladesh has launched vaccination campaign with Oxford-Astrazeneca’s Covishield vaccine produced by Serum Institute of India. Dhaka signed a memorandum of understanding with the Serum Institute to import 3 crore doses of vaccine last year.

Though 3 crore doases of “Covishield’ vaccine were supposed to arrive in Bangladesh until March 2021 as per the agreement, the Serum Institute has so far sent only 70 lakh doses of vaccine in two consignments.

Besides, the Indian government prodvided Bangladesh additional 32 lakh doses of vaccine as gifts. With all, Bangladesh has so far received 1.02 crore doses of Covishield vaccine from India.