Illustrative image (Photo: Getty Images)Hanoi (VNA) - The Ministry of Health received financial assistance of 160 billion VND(over 6.9 million USD) from the banking sector and 4 million doses of COVID-19vaccines from Vingroup at a ceremony on May 21.
Addressing the ceremony, Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said that under thedirection of the Politburo, the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, theGovernment, the Prime Minister, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Preventionand Control, and the Ministry of Health, and with the involvement of the entirepolitical system, Vietnam has brought three outbreaks under control and isgradually controlling a fourth.
As part of efforts to access COVID-19 vaccines, the Ministry of Health haspromoted negotiations for purchases from foreign producers and suppliers.
At the ceremony (Photo: VNA)Commitments have been made so far to provide some 110 million doses to Vietnam thisyear, including 38.9 million from the COVAXFacility programme, 30 million from AstraZeneca, and 31 million fromPfizer/BioNTech. The ministry has also registered to purchase an additional 10million doses under a cost-sharing mechanism through the COVAX Facilityprogramme.
The ministry is continuing its efforts to secure 150 million doses to inoculate 75 percent of the population, henoted.
The minister expressed a hope that the banking sector will continue toaccompany the health sector in combating the pandemic.
The financial assistance and vaccines presented at the ceremony will be donatedto the COVID-19 vaccine fund, which will manage and coordinate finances for the sponsorship,purchase, and use of vaccines.
The fund’s operations fall under the supervision of State financial management institutionsand the State Audit Office of Vietnam.
It is obliged to report collections andspending to the Government and the National Assembly, and to publicisemobilised sources, lists of donors, and volume of vaccines on hand./.
VNA
