Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh Prime Minister, ordered the diversion of around $176,000, originally allocated for the procurement of vehicles for her office, to the country’s health services amid the pandemic. 

"An amount of Tk 15 crore (roughly $176,000) was allocated for the procurement of motor vehicles for the Prime Minister's Office in 2021-2022 fiscal year. But the money has been diverted to the cause of people's healthcare services at the directive of the prime minister," Ihsanul Karim, Hasina’s Press Secretary, was quoted as saying by The Daily Star newspaper. 

In the wake of the ongoing pandemic, Hasina canceled the allocation of vehicle procurement and asked his officials to redirect the money to public healthcare, he said. A few months back, Bangladesh saw its worst-ever Covid surge which overwhelmed its health infrastructure. At the peak of the crisis, it was reporting over 12,000 daily infections. 

In the last few months, the government has taken many steps, including recruitment of doctors and health workers, enhancing health infrastructure to boost the pandemic response. Furthermore, the government has also stepped up its vaccination pace. Over 33 million doses of vaccines have been administered so far.

The administration has currently been in talks with China for 100 million more Covid vaccines.

(SAM)