1 April 2021 07:05 am
By Easwaran Rutnam
The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) is to inoculate 4,000 Chinese nationals from Monday using the Sinopharm vaccine.
Chief Medical Officer of Health of the Colombo Municipal Council Dr. Ruwan Wijayamuni told Daily Mirror that the CMC was requested to assist in vaccinating the Chinese community in Colombo.
A stock of 600,000 Sinopharm vaccines gifted by China arrived in Sri Lanka yesterday.
“We have not yet received the Sinopharm vaccine into our hands but we will get it soon,” he said.
Dr. Wijayamuni said that once the vaccines are received the CMC will begin vaccinating an estimated 4,000 Chinese from Monday.
He said that the Colombo Port City will be converted into a makeshift vaccination center where most of the Chinese will gather to be inoculated.
Meanwhile, the Public Health Inspectors (PHI) union said that they are awaiting Health Ministry clearance to use the Sinopharm vaccine.
PHI union Secretary Mahendra Baalasooriya told Daily Mirror that if they are formally informed and the appropriate circular is issued, they will get involved in the process to vaccinate people using the Sinopharm vaccine.
He said that so far only the CMC is involved in the program to vaccinate Chinese nationals using the Chinese vaccine.
The vaccine has not yet been given clearance to be used on Sri Lankans.