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Trinidad and Tobago: The letter of UNC leader Kamla Persad to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi aroused many questions on the opposition by the citizens and the current government.
Kamla Persad wrote the letter on 23 February 2021, whereas Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley had already written to the Indian PM seeking the vaccines for the nation on 4 February 2021.
Moreover, Minister Amery Browne announced last week on Wednesday that Prime Minister Rowley was already in communication with the Indian Prime Minister on procurement vaccines.
Minister Amery Browne’s statement on vaccine
Minister Amery Browne clarified that “CARICOM bio-ministry informed the health ministry that Indian vaccine COVAX hadn’t achieved the approval by the WHO till now.”
Dr. Browne said, “Mrs. Persad-Bissessar has chosen to sacrifice protocol and normal judgment and to tamper with sound bilateral relations in a quest for relevance and attention.”
Furthermore, Dr. Browne added, there are two vaccines, Covishield and Covax, from which Covax still needs approval, whereas Covishield was approved on 15 February 2021.
PM Rowley engaged with PM Modi to broaden the scope of the vaccine beyond additional resources. As the vaccine manufacturing project is not entirely owned by the Indian government, to purchase the vaccines, Trinidad and Tobago would have to contact the Serum Institute of India, a private company.Â
The diplomat contacted the private company for the order of respective vaccines. Still, unfortunately, the Serum Institute of India is not in the position to take further orders of the vaccine.
Dr. Browne conveyed the whole scenario to the High Commission of India, and they assured that the Indian administration would go the extra mile to procure vaccines for Trinidad and Tobago.
“You may hate the government but don’t hate Trinidad and Tobago…” Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh stated for UNC leader Kamla Persad on writing her letter to Indian PM.
What Resources have to say?
According to the resources, COVISHIELD is effective based on clinical trials in Brazil and the UK; India Drug Action Network stated, “the approval was rushed because the manufacturer has not completed a ‘bridging study’ of the vaccine on Indians. This bridging study is to be completed in February this year. People are anticipating the data to be released.
Kamla Persad has accused PNM several times, but this time she was firmly condemned by the people as the intervention of opposition in the global matter is not needed. If the current government is working on the matter, Kamla Persad just added unnecessary effort that can potentially destroy the nation’s political status.
