September 16

NOWADAYS, the government is striving for arranging the vaccination for the people without delay amid many difficulties, pressures and disturbances as part of efforts to serve the national cause and the national interests.

Everybody needs to be able to work for ensuring the prosperity of the nation. Only when they are healthy will they be able to work. Currently, it is necessary to place emphasis on staying away from COVID-19 for being healthy. Only when they are free from COVID-19 can they work, do business, learn, meditate and operate the social life as usual. As such, the government is making utmost efforts for providing anti-COVID-19 vaccines to the people as much as it can.

So far, the government has cost US$169 million for the purchase of vaccines for the fight against the COVID-19 and medical equipment while spending K566 billion on maintenance and construction of hospitals, clinics, COVID-19 centres and social organizations in addition to more than US$500,000 on general costs. Till today, the government is ready to spend the fund on the prevention of COVID-19.

As State responsibilities, the government arranged the vaccination for 2.1 million units of anti-COVID vaccine to the people for the first time and 2.6 million units for the second time. Thanks to the efforts of the government, 10 million units of anti-COVID-19 vaccine will arrive in Myanmar in September, 10 more million units in October and 10 another million units in coming November. Negotiation is being conducted with the production companies for purchasing the more units of vaccines. If the entire people received the vaccination, they could save their lives to some degree.

The anti-COVID-19 vaccination programme is inclusive of all the national people of Myanmar. The government does not have any plans to leave anyone in the programme as all are citizens of the nation. So, the people residing in border regions, far-flung areas, internally displaced person’s camps, prisons and those from Rakhine State have the right to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Although some ethnic armed organizations break provisions of the NCA, the government contacts them to give the vaccines.

In fact, the vaccination of COVID-19 is arranged with the purpose of a national cause. The vaccination programme is being implemented without dogmatism and personal cult but it creates a chance for the people to participate in the nation-building tasks. GNLM