Staff Reporter

With the surge in Covid-19 infection in Bangladesh and India in the past month, the government has dispatched Covishield vaccine for Bhutanese studying and working there. 

Bhutan’s Embassy in Bangladesh in collaboration with the four Bhutanese doctors in Dhaka pursuing postgraduate studies at BSMM University drew up a vaccination programme for the Bhutanese in Bangladesh. 

The doctors also consulted the health ministry and received instructions and guidance on how to go about administering the vaccines.  

The Covishield vaccine was provided to 62 Bhutanese students, three Bhutanese working and living in Bangladesh and the local staff of the Embassy at the Chancery of the Royal Bhutanese Embassy in Dhaka on April 16. 

The vaccination for the second batch will be carried out on April 20 for four Bhutanese students studying in Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College. Sylhet is about six and a half hours by car from Dhaka. The students couldn’t come for vaccination on April 16 due to their exams. 

“All those who received the vaccine were fine during the 30 minutes observation period after vaccination and there were no cases of any severe adverse reaction to the vaccine,” a press release from the Bhutan’s Embassy in Dhaka.  

The students were dropped off at their respective colleges after the vaccination. 

Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering said that after the weeklong vaccination drive in the country completed, vaccines were sent for those studying and living in New Delhi, India. 

Meanwhile, Royal Academy of Performing Arts artistes, who tested positive to Covid-19 earlier, tested negative on April 10 and 11 and were declared recovered by doctors. They returned to Bhutan on April 14 and are now in quarantine in Paro.