‘Health ministry not going ahead with Gonoshasthaya proposal to buy 20 million Russian vaccines’
Health ministry has not gone ahead with Gonoshasthaya Kendra's proposal of buying 20 million Sputnik V vaccine from Russia, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has said.
"Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury met me. We were very excited as he said he could bring vaccine from Russia in seven days at half the price. Naturally, we were very happy," Momen told reporters at his residence today after returning from his five-day visit to Uzbekistan.
He said he communicated over the issue with Bangladesh Ambassador to Russia Kamrul Ahsan, who informed him that Russia did not appoint any private agent in Bangladesh as distributor of Sputnik V vaccine in Bangladesh.
"Later, we heard that the person who got the agency is American. He [Dr Zafrullah] will bring [vaccine] from the American. I don't know…The health ministry did not work that way," he said.
The foreign minister then went on to say that many journalists, singers and intellectuals made repeated proposals so that they could bring vaccines at cheap rates if the government had permitted.
"I don't know. It is a health ministry issue and we refer them to the health ministry."
Earlier, Gonoshasthaya Kendra (GSK) said it asked the government to buy 20 million doses Sputnik V vaccine from Russia and that the Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital has been appointed the vaccine manufacturer's sole distributor in Bangladesh.
Each dose will cost USD 8, according to a proposal submitted to Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen during a meeting on June 6. Foreign Ministry Secretary Masud Bin Momen and Covid-19 Coordinator of the ministry were also present at the meeting, said GSK sources.
On June 9, GSK wrote to the minister informing him about getting the distributorship of Sputnik V. Getting no response, it sent another letter to the Prime Minister's Office on June 15. It also sent a letter to Prime Minister's Principal Secretary Ahmad Kaikaus on June 24, sources told The Daily Star.
Zafrullah told The Daily Star Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) appointed LLC MEBTEX as the distributor of Sputnik V vaccine and the latter appointed Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital the sole distributor in Bangladesh.
"We have attached relevant documents along with our letters. We did not communicate with the Russian company for the partnership. They were the ones who approached us," said Zafrullah.
Asked why the Russian firm contacted GSK instead of the government, he said, "When RDIF wants to have a partnership with a country, they communicate with the country's government through a non-government agent. This is why they contacted GSK. But I do not know why they particularly contacted me."
Asked about Gonoshasthya Kendra's proposal, DGHS DG Prof Khurshid Alam said told The Daily Star on July 14, "I don't know about it. I don't have any information in this regard."
Bangladesh is in talks with Russia to buy vaccine and for co-production of Sputnik V. However, the agreement is yet to be signed. Momen said the agreement is at its final stage.
Comments