Bangladesh enters the vaccine age
Senior nurse Runu Veronica Costa has made history. She has been caring for coronavirus patients in hospital during the pandemic. She was the first in the country to be vaccinated as a frontline fighter in the ongoing battle against coronavirus. With her vaccination, Bangladesh started a new chapter in Covid control.
Nurse Costa was vaccinated against coronavirus at Kurmitola Hospital in the capital around 4:00pm on Wednesday afternoon. She told reporters that she had taken the vaccine voluntarily and is fine. "You should be encouraged by seeing me, seeing us," she added.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the vaccination programme at Kurmitola Hospital Wednesday, joining the ceremony virtually from Ganabhaban. Five people were vaccinated in her presence. At the start of the vaccination, the prime minister asked Runu Veronica Costa if she was scared. And after the vaccination, she congratulated the senior nurse.
The other four who were vaccinated in the presence of the prime minister were Ahmed Lutful Moben, a physician at the Kurmitola General Hospital, Prof Nasima Sultana, additional director general (administration) of the health department, traffic sergeant at Motijheel in the capital Didarul Islam and Brigadier General M Imran Hamid of the Bangladesh Army. After the launch, 21 more people were vaccinated.
The rate of Covid transmission in the country has never been very high. The mortality rate was also lower than in many countries. At first, there was a fear of devastating transmission of the virus and high mortality rate in this populous country. But Bangladesh has not been devastated by the pandemic. Rather the country is in a relatively good position in terms of economy. However, Bangladesh has been weak in terms of sufficient number of tests, quarantine, isolation, contact tracing (identification of the person who came in contact with the infected person.
The first coronavirus case in Bangladesh was identified on 8 March last year. About 10 months after the first detection, the vaccination programme started on Wednesday. The first corona vaccine was introduced in the UK on 6 December last year. Neighbouring India started on the 16th of this month. The Covid vaccine has not yet reached many countries in the world.
On 21 January Bangladesh received 2 million doses of coronavirus vaccine as a gift from India. Then on 25 January, Bangladesh received 5 million doses of the vaccine as first consignment of the 30 million doses purchased from India’s Serum Institute. In the next five months, the country will receive another 25 million doses of coronavirus vaccine. In addition, the government has taken initiative to procure 600,000 vaccines from the global enterprise Covax. And 20 per cent of the country's population will be vaccinated through Covax. Besides, the government has plans and fund allocations to buy vaccines from other sources.
The Kurmitola General Hospital authorities had been preparing for the launch of the vaccination programme for the last three to four days. The hospital premises and the ground floor of the hospital building were specially decorated. The entry of other persons, except the selected ones was restricted. Special security measures were also taken. No media personnel other than of the state-owned media were allowed to enter the venue. The programme was aired live on television.
At the beginning of the programme, health minister Zahid Maleque said Bangladesh has maintained contact with the vaccine research institutes and manufacturing companies from the very beginning. This vaccine will be able to control and eradicate the coronavirus pandemic. He thanked the prime minister of India Narendra Modi, the people of India and the Serum Institute for their cooperation.
At the end of the programme, when newspersons asked when the health minister, health secretary or senior government officials would get vaccinated, the health minister said that they want to get vaccinated only after it is confirmed that all the people are getting vaccinated. However, when the nationwide vaccination starts on 7 February, some senior people may be vaccinated.
After the vaccination, everyone was asked to stay in a specific room. There were about 20 beds in that room for the people who got vaccinated. There were also a few doctors to monitor these people. But the people, who took the vaccine, were seen smiling. A few of their relatives were also present in that room.
Vaccination starts in five hospitals today
The vaccination programme started at five hospitals in the capital on Wednesday morning. Upon visiting three of these hospitals it was revealed that there were arrangements of vaccination centres, waiting rooms, vaccination booths and beds for resting in each of these hospitals.
There are ICU facilities at both the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) and Mugda Hospital. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) does not have the ICU facility in their Covid vaccination centre. However, the BSMMU authorities said, such measures will be taken if necessary.
The DMCH authorities have said that a total of 140 health and other workers will be vaccinated at their vaccination centre. Two of the four vaccination booths there are reserved for the women. The hospital authorities received the vaccine yesterday afternoon.
Brig Gen Nazmul Haque, director of DMCH, told Prothom Alo that all kinds of measures have been taken to ensure that everyone can take the vaccine with ease. After the vaccination, each person will be monitored for half an hour.
The vaccination centre of BSMMU has been set up at the BSMMU convention centre. It has an information booth and a waiting room with rows of sofas. There are eight booths on one side of the waiting room. The hospital authorities said that a total of 200 employees of the BSMMU will be vaccinated in these booths. Kanak Kanti Barua was the first to get vaccinated. The other staff at different levels of BSMMU will be vaccinated gradually.
Mugda Medical College and Hospital authorities said the corona vaccine will be given on the third floor of the outdoor department of the hospital. A total of 60 health workers will be vaccinated on the first day. There are arrangements of two vaccination booths, a restroom and an ICU in the vaccination centre of the hospital.
Asim Kumar Nath, the director of Mugda Hospital, told Prothom Alo that arrangements have been made for vaccination at the centre in compliance with the health guidelines. If anyone is adversely affected after the vaccination, highest actions will be taken immediately.