President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has assured that the government would secure enough doses of Covid-19 vaccines to cater to the entire population of the Maldives, including residents and foreigners as 100,000 doses of the Covishield vaccine arrived in the Maldives this afternoon.
He made these remarks in his address to the nation given shortly before the vaccine donation arrived from India via an Air India airplane that landed at Velaana International Airport earlier today.
President Solih said that affirmed that the government would provide vaccination at no cost and that the rollout of the vaccines would commence in the coming months.
The President highlighted the government’s continuous efforts over the past 10-months in response to the pandemic.
Concluding his remarks, the President encouraged the public to continue adhering to the guidelines of health professionals.
The Covisheild vaccine (developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca) was manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, was handed over from the Government of India to the Government of Maldives, at a ceremony held today at Velana International Airport.
The ceremony was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid, Minister of Health Ahmed Naseem, High Commissioner of India to the Maldives Sunjay Sudhir, and senior Government officials.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Shahid thanked the Government of India for their exceptional efforts in always being the first responder in times of dire need, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Minister Shahid also noted that India’s gift today is a symbol of the traditionally close and unique bilateral relations between the Maldives and India, which has grown stronger and deeper, since the inception of President Solih’s Government.
He surprised many by speaking fluent Hindi during his remarks as he addressed the ceremony in three different languages.
