A regular flight ferrying the single-shot vaccines vials from Johnson and Johnson landed in the Tribhuvan International Airport today morning.

American Ambassador to Nepal Randy Berry officially handed over the vaccines to Nepali Health Minister Krishna Gopal Shrestha during a program at the TIA. The vaccine consignment has been moved to a Teku-based vaccine storage facility managed by the Department of Health Services.

“Today, we’re giving Nepal enough #JNJ COVID19 vaccines via #COVAX to fully vaccinate 1.5 million people. I’m proud that the US is the largest single-country donor of #COVID19 assistance to Nepal. This gift, on behalf of the American people, has the singular goal of saving lives,” tweeted Ambassador Berry.

Likewise, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, “There are no strings attached to our vaccines that we’re providing. We’re providing them around the world to save lives and to be a contributor to the global effort to fight the pandemic.”

According to the US Embassy in Nepal, as the vaccine is a single-shot type, 1.5 million Nepalis can be fully vaccinated with received vaccines doses.

“This is one crucial step toward ending the pandemic, recuperating economic losses, and resuming the in-person social connections we all crave,” said the US Embassy.

As per the preliminary news, people in the age group 50-55 will be inoculated. However, the Nepali Government is yet to decide the same.

Stay Tuned to NepaliSansar for Latest Nepal COVID-19 Updates!

More News:

• UEFA Euro 2020: Italy Takes European Championship Cup to Rome!
• Israel Donates Medical Resources to Nepal to Fight the Pandemic
• Disputes Between Nepali PM and Leader Madhav Kumar are Ending: CPN-UML
• Illegally Imported Phones Will Be Non-functional from Next Week!
• Nepal’s Xavier Int’l College Wins ‘World Leader Summit Award-2021’

The post Amid COVID-19 Vaccine Crunch Nepal Receives 1.5 million Doses from the US! appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

“This German support of today is part of a bigger European effort. I am grateful to the European Civil Protection Mechanism for ensuring coordination amongst all EU Member States and for organizing our transport logistics. And I am confident that here in Nepal, through the Nepali tracking system eLMIS, these goods will reach the places in Nepal where they are really needed,” said German Ambassador to Nepal, Roland Schafer.

Nepali Health Minister Sher Bahadur Tamang received aid was from the German Ambassador Schäfer. Also present were other ambassadors of France and Finland.

The Himalayan country previously received a series of humanitarian aids from Spain, Finland, France, and Belgium. The shipments were these facilitated by the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Thanks to this mechanism, more shipments are to follow.

“We also need more vaccines, to make us all safe. The EU has already exported 240 million doses to 90 countries, which is about as much as we have used within the EU. And the European industrial partners have committed to deliver 1.3 billion doses of vaccines before the end of 2021 to low-income countries at no-profit and to middle-income countries at lower prices. This is the real effect of “Team Europe”. Nepal should be able to receive or purchase its share of vaccines by the end of the year,” added German Ambassador Schäfer.

While receiving the German shipment, the Health Minister of Nepal expressed gratitude on behalf of the Nepali government and the nation to Germany for their continuing support in Nepali’s COVID-19 response. The Minister reiterated that this aid would be very vital in their fight against the deadly virus.

Tuesday oversaw the arrival of the German aid, which contained 62 ventilators; 27,500 FFP2 masks; 30,000 surgical masks; 100 gumboots; 200 body bags; five isolation center tents; and 25,000 liters of disinfectant. Many more medical German supplies will follow, and the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism also facilitates this aid of Germany.

Stay Tuned to NepaliSansar for Latest Nepal Health Stories!

More News:

• Nepal COVID-19 death toll crosses 8k mark as infection cases rise
• Nepali Prime Minister Initiates a Major Cabinet Reshuffle
• 78 Nepali Hotels Selected for Quarantining International Air Passengers
• ‘No Nepal Variant’: WHO Denies Daily Mail’s Claim!
• FIFA WC Qualifiers 2022: Nepal Defeats Chinese Taipei 2-0!
• 10 Reasons Why Nepalese Love To Buy iPhone

The post Nepal receives vital medical supplies from Germany appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

In a major move, the Nepali Parliament yesterday endorsed the historic Health Insurance Bill that aims at ensuring universal health coverage for Nepalis.

This bill mandates the enrolment of all Nepali households in the universal healthcare program, which covers preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative support while also addressing related financial challenges of the needy.

Placing the bill in the Parliament, Minister for Health Giriraj Mani Pokharel said, “The insurance premium for the families who cannot afford to pay will be borne by the government.”

Meanwhile, the former Nepali Health Minister and Congress leader Gagan Thapa termed the bill as a historic move, while also urging the government to monitor private hospitals and control prices of medicines for an effective implementation of the program.

“It is an important step towards ensuring health care services to all the citizens as envisioned by the constitution,” read Thapa’s statement.

It’s noteworthy that the bill was approved during Thapa’s tenure and later passed on to the Parliament.

Existing Program Holds Limited Scope

Nepal currently has the health security program in place in a few districts. However, its expansion as a nation-wide plan could not happen due to regulations and legal issues associated with it.

Whereas, the new bill succeeded in terms of universal coverage.

With regard to insurance coverage, the current program mandates a household of five to pay an annual premium of Rs 2,500 to enjoy services worth Rs 50,000, and every additional member will be levied Rs 425 for services worth Rs 10,000.

Unlike the current bill, the new health policy levies premium based on the family’s income.

It also has a provision of Health Service Board to be headed by a chairman appointed by the government and representatives from the insurance firms.

The post New Health Bill Ensures Universal Health Coverage for Nepalis appeared first on Nepali Sansar.

In a move enhancing US-Nepal bilateral ties, Nepali Health Minister Giriraj Mani Pokharel and Michael C. Gonzales, Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy in Kathmandu met in Kathmandu on Monday.

In their meeting at Singh Durbar, both the officials discussed US-Nepal bilateral relations and expressed willingness to further strengthen ties between the two nations.

Recalling US support to Nepal, Pokharel lauded assistance offered by the Government of United States to Nepal during and post earthquake in 2015. He also said that the support given by US missions and agencies for elimination of malaria in Dang district in Western Nepal, was remarkable.

In response, the US official called on the Government of Nepal to utilize support provided by the US Government. He expressed the US Government’s readiness to contribute towards the development of the Nepali health sector.

It is noteworthy that Nepal has recently agreed to receive a major foreign grant of Rs 51.38 billion from the United States’ Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) for the development of road and electricity transmission line in Nepal.

The post US Committed to Development of Nepali Health Sector appeared first on Nepali Sansar.