DHAKA, July 20, 2020 (BSS) – Secretary of Health Service Division Md Abdul Mannan today said the country has a stock of three lakh kits for COVID-19 test and the process of importing more kits is underway.
“There is no scarcity of kits… as we have three lakh kits for testing suspected cases of coronavirus and importing more kits are in process,” he told a virtual meeting of National Technical Advisory Committee in the conference room of the health ministry here, an official release said.
Vice-Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Prof Dr Kanak Kanti Barua, Director General of Directorate General of Health Services Prof Abul Kalam Azad, President of National Technical Advisory Committee Dr Md Shahidullah, IEDCR Director Prof Dr Meerjady Sabrina Flora, President of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) Dr Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad (SWACHIP) President M Iqbal Arslan, Additional Secretary (administration) of Health Service Division Sheikh Mujibor Rahman and eminent health experts, among others, joined the meeting through online.
The health secretary said the government has taken various initiatives including installation of PCR Labs across the country to widen testing facilities for containing spread of the deadly virus.
He said many countries including China and the UK are in the final stage for vaccine development as they are performing phase-3 human trial of COVID-19 vaccine development.
If these countries are able to develop coronavirus vaccines, Bangladesh will get inoculations on priority basis, Mannan said, adding those countries with per capita income below 4000 US dollar will get vaccines for free. “As per capita income of Bangladesh is below 2,000 US dollar, we will get vaccine for free,” the health secretary said.
Bangladesh is intensifying its efforts for developing connections with countries, which appeared as forerunner in a global race for developing inoculates against coronavirus, he added.