WI THOUT F EAR O R F A V O U R Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXVIII No. 331 | 8 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 24.6 C -6.6 C Thursday, January 28, 2021 | 15-10-2077 Dipayal Jumla Nepal begins first phase of Covid-19 vaccination drive Prime Minister Oli says all eligible citizens will be inoculated within three months but officials fail to explain how. The country will need around 45 million doses to cover 72 percent of the 30 million people. POST PHOTOS: KABIN ADHIKARI & ANGAD DHAKAL A health worker preps a Covid-19 vaccine at TU Teaching Hospital; and Dr Sagar Rajbhandari (right), director of Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, and Dr Anup Bastola react after receiving their first jabs in Teku, Kathmandu on Wednesday. ARJUN POUDEL Nepal rolled out its Covid-19 vaccina- es, the government plans to inoculate The government has said it plans to “But due to various reasons including KATHMANDU, JAN 27 tion drive on Wednesday, a little over a around 430,000 health care providers and procure an additional four million doses supply problems, vaccination could not year after the country confirmed its first frontline workers, including female com- of vaccine, most likely Covishield, within start in 12 districts of Sudurpaschim, When Usha Devkota woke up on coronavirus case on January 24, 2020. munity health volunteers, security per- a month. Lumbini and Province 1,” said Adhikari. Wednesday morning, she was excited and The virus so far has infected 270,375. As sonnel, elderly people taking refuge in old The first phase of immunisation is tak- As the country was launching its vacci- nervous at the same time. Devkota, in many as 2,020 have died of the complica- age homes and prisoners. ing place as per the Health Ministry’s plan nation drive, there were some concerns charge of the intensive unit care unit at tions resulting from the infection. The vaccination drive kicked off from to inoculate people in a staggered manner about vaccine hesitancy, a phenomenon Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease The inoculation drive was launched Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease based on priority. defined by the World Health Organisation Hospital, was set to receive the coronavi- after India supplied one million doses of Hospital after Prime Minister KP Sharma After the frontline and healthcare as a “delay in acceptance or refusal of rus vaccine. Covid-19 vaccine, developed by the Oli inaugurated the campaign. workers, those above 55 years are the pri- vaccines despite availability of vaccina- “I was excited to get the jab,” Devkota, University of Oxford and pharmaceutical Dr Sagar Rajbhandari, director at the ority, as Covid-19 death rate in this age tion services”. 49, told the Post. “I am certain that now giant AstraZeneca and locally manufac- hospital, who was the first one to get vac- group has been reported to be the highest. However, doctors say that’s natural chances of transmitting the virus by me tured by the Serum Institute of India, cinated in the country, described it as one Everyone between 40 and 55 years will be when it comes to a new drug or a vaccine will be minimal and I can be with my fam- world’s largest vaccine manufacturing of the momentous events. immunised in the third phase and the and they stress the need to raise awareness ily.” company. remaining population will be inoculated among all sections of the society and peo- For the 49-year-old mother of one, it The India-manufactured vaccine, in the fourth round. ple from across the professional spectrum, was also an emotional moment, as she named Covishield, is Nepali authorities’ According to the Health Ministry, 9,084 including those in health care services. was hoping to spend time with her family preferred choice, as the country’s existing Health Ministry says people were vaccinated at 93 immunisa- Some health care workers the Post properly. storage facility supports the vaccine to 9,084 people were tion centres in 64 districts throughout the spoke to said that they too were concerned As a frontline worker, Devkota for the maintain its cold chain. The Covishield country on Wednesday. before they received the jabs, given last one year has been providing care to vaccine needs to be stored in tempera- vaccinated at 93 “The first day of the vaccination drive the reports that the vaccine was not the coronavirus patients admitted to the tures between 2 to 8 degrees Celsius. went smoothly, without any glitches,” said widely tested and that some side effects intensive care unit of Sukraraj Tropical The vaccine is made from a weakened centres in 64 districts Dr Samir Kumar Adhikari, joint spokes- were seen. and Infectious Disease Hospital. version of a common cold virus (known person for the Health Ministry. “Today’s Dr Saili Pradhan, head of the dental “My initial nervousness vanished as as an adenovirus) from chimpanzees. The on Wednesday. coverage is almost close to the target.” department at Bir Hospital, said that until soon as I received the jab,” said Devkota vaccine, once injected into a person, According to a statement issued by the Tuesday her concern was if there could who got the vaccine at around 11am. “I am prompts the immune system to start mak- ministry, 2,694 people were administered be some side effects. pretty much fine.” ing antibodies and prepares it to attack “This is a safe vaccine and there is no the vaccine in Bagmati Province; 1,843 in “Just as fear had gripped [us] during Immediately after being inoculated, she any coronavirus infection, as the common need for people to be concerned or wor- Gandaki Province; 1,255 in Province 1; the initial stage of the pandemic, I was returned to her daily routine—taking care cold virus has been modified to look more ried about,” Rajbhandari, who received 1,082 in Sudurpaschim Province; 751 in kind of concerned about the vaccine too,” of those at her hospital’s intensive care. like a coronavirus. It, however, cannot the jab at around 10am, told the Post. “I Karnali Province; 733 in Lumbini Pradhan told the Post. “But it was until I Devkota is one of those frontline work- cause illness. want to send across a message to one and Province; and 726 in Province 2. took the jab. Thereafter, I encouraged oth- ers who are going to be vaccinated against With the available doses, which have all that people should receive the vaccine The ministry had said it would inocu- ers to get vaccinated without any fear.” Covid-19 over the next few days. been already shipped to all seven provinc- without any fear.” late around 12,000 people on the first day. >> Continued on page 2 Despite concerns, government releases New budget for projects xh'/sf] lzz' x'g]5 chosen by lawmakers 2021 sf] nflu k"0f{ tof/ Rs6.56 billion has been released for Local Infrastructure Programme even as House has been dissolved and polls announced. PRITHVI MAN SHRESTHA KATHMANDU, JAN 27 The KP Sharma Oli government, which has technically turned into a caretaker administration since the dissolu- tion of the House on December 20, released on Monday around Rs 6.56 billion for the highly controversial Local Infrastructure Development Partnership Programme. The programme is a lawmakers-led scheme which faces criticism for being distributive and many say it promotes misuse of the funds, as it is mainly run by local consumer committees usually at the behest of political party cadres. That the budget has been released after the dissolution of the lower house of Parliament, which effectively means there are no lawmakers, the government move has come into question. Under the programme, lawmakers “supposedly” play a lead role in selection and monitoring of the projects. Experts and analysts say the budget release after declar- ing the elections could give undue advantage to some candidates. After dissolving the House, the Oli government has called snap polls for April 30 and May 10. “The budget of Rs6.56 billion has been released to imple- ment various projects in 164 out of 165 electoral constituen- cies,” Basanta Adhikari, spokesperson for the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, told the Post. >> Continued on page 2 #SleepLikeAPampersBaby C M Y K THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2021 | 02 NATIONAL Youth hacked to death over school committee election dispute in Bajhang Ward chairman and three others arrested in connection with the murder. BASANTA PRATAP SINGH incident only after arriving at the dis- Tarun Dal. BAJHANG, JAN 27 trict headquarters. I have my motor- DSP Khadka also agreed that bike with me. My name is being linked the incident occurred due to political A 23-year-old man was hacked to death to the incident unnecessarily for polit- reasons. over a dispute during a school man- ical vendetta,” said Bikash. “Preliminary investigation shows agement committee election in “Investigation into the murder that a man named Prakash assaulted Chhabispathibhera Rural is underway after detaining four the victim. Investigation is on to find Municipality, Bajhang on Tuesday suspects,” said Deputy whether the ward chairman was evening. Superintendent of Police Rupak involved in the crime or not,” said According to the District Police Khadka. The murderers will be pun- Khadka, adding that the assailants Office, Amrit Singh of ished soon, he added. were under the influence of alcohol Chhabispathibhera-3 died after being Meanwhile, the local residents are when the incident took place. hit with a machete. Police arrested of the belief that Amrit was killed for Meanwhile, supporters of the four persons, including ward chair- political wrangling.