Last Updated on March 2, 2021, 6:32 AM AST by Anthony Morris
Basseterre: The Federation of St Kitts and Nevis received the donation of 20,000 doses of COVID-19 Covishield (Oxford-AstraZeneca) by the Government of India during a short but important ceremony held on Monday 01 March 2021 at the Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw International Airport.
High Commissioner of India, Dr KJ Srinivasa, said that the vaccines for St. Kitts and Nevis will be very beneficial and that they “will meet the requirements to vaccinate frontline workers and those with serious illnesses in the Federation.”
“I must emphasize that the gift of the vaccines to St Kitts and Nevis respects the Prime Minister Modi’s commitment to use India’s vaccine production and can offer the ability to help all mankind fight the dreaded disease. It also shows the help of India to our friendly country St. Kitts and Nevis, who occupy a very special place in India’s foreign policy, “said Srinivasa. “In such times emergencies, the right friends come out, and I must say that this day is a special milestone in our bilateral relationship.”
High Commissioner Srinivasa said India’s success with the delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine within a few weeks of being approved, the country was “willing and able to act as a first response” to the global crisis, especially to countries in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
The high commissioner described the relationship between St Kitts and Nevis and India briefly touched on the fact that both countries “have a very special bond” and that their “shared values of democracy and the rule of law” strengthen bilateral partnerships.
He noted that during the pandemic, the Government of India provided much-needed support to St. Kitts and Nevis granted. In 2020, they delivered life-saving medicines and medical supplies worth US $ 100,000 and 10,000 Hydroxychloroquine tablets to St. Louis. Kitts and Nevis provide, ‘as a gesture of benevolence in support of his fight against COVID-19’, to name but a few.
The COVISHIELD vaccine was manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, Pune, the largest vaccine manufacturer in collaboration with Oxford University-AstraZeneca. In addition to St. Kitts and Nevis, vaccines have also been donated to Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Drs. the esteemed Timothy Harris; Minister of Health et al. the Honorable Akilah Byron-Nisbett; Secretary of State, the Honorable Mark Brantley; Dr., Hazel Laws, Chief Medical Officer; Dr. Cameron Wilkinson, chief of staff, other members of the health fraternity and the cabinet were present at the ceremony today.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
