KATHMANDU, JUNE 12

The Nepali Congress demanded that the government intensify diplomatic efforts to manage COVID-19 vaccines for all Nepalis as vaccination was the only effective solution to the pandemic.

NC Joint General Secretary Prakash Sharan Mahat told mediapersons after the NC office bearers meeting today that the party decided to urge the government to act responsibly to control the COV- ID-19 pandemic. He said the ongoing lockdown had reduced the number of infections in urban areas, but infection rates were high in rural areas and the only durable solution was to vaccinate the entire population. He said Nepal could approach the G7 countries for vaccines as countries of the group had announced they would support poor countries with COVID-19 vaccines.

Mahat said the government's diplomatic effort to seek vaccine assistance from other than neighbouring countries was not effective and President Bidhya Devi Bhandari had acted beyond her jurisdiction by writing letters to leaders of other countries seeking vaccines.

Mahat said the government should seek vaccines from other countries and if foreign assistance was not enough, it should buy them.

He said the government had failed to procure vaccines as it had indulged in the commission game.

A version of this article appears in the print on June 13, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.