7th March 2021 -- India gifted 80,000 doses of the Made in India Covid-19 vaccine - COVISHIELD, to the Government and People of Guyana today to meet the immediate requirements of vaccinating healthcare workers, frontline workers and those with co-morbidities. The COVISHIELD vaccine is manufactured in India by the Serum Institute of India, Pune, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer in collaboration with Oxford-AstraZeneca. By delivering the COVISHIELD vaccine within days of its rollout, India has once again demonstrated its willingness and ability to act as a First Responder to crises in the World, including in Guyana. Recently, India gifted 175,000 doses of Made in India Covid-19 vaccine - COVISHIELD for the benefit of several CARICOM countries, Antigua and Barbuda (40,000 doses), St. Kitts and Nevis (20,000 doses), St. Lucia (25,000 doses), St. Vincent and Grenadines (40,000 doses) and Suriname (50,000 doses) which is part of an overall 570,000 vaccine donation to the CARICOM region.
The Prime Minister of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Hon. Brig. (Retd.) Mark Phillips along with Hon. Dr. Frank Anthony, Minister of Health, Hon. Hugh Todd, Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation and H.E. Dr. K.J. Srinivasa, High Commissioner of India to Guyana received the consignment of doses of vaccine, in a special ceremony held at Cheddi Jagan International Airport.Hon. Brig. (Retd.) Mark Phillips, Prime Minister of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, spoke on the occasion. He thanked Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister H.E. Dr. S Jaishankar for the generous donation of Covid-19 vaccines to Guyana which strengthened their hands in the fight against the COVID pandemic.
In his speech on the occasion, High Commissioner highlighted that the gifting of vaccines to Guyana honoured Prime Minister Modi’s commitment to use India’s vaccine production and delivery capacity for helping all of humanity in fighting the crisis. He emphasized the fact that Guyana received the vaccine in the first few days of India’s assistance to friendly countries, which highlighted the special place Guyana occupies in India’s Foreign Policy. It also bolstered India’s credentials as the immediate responder for Guyana in times of emergency situations. He reiterated that the arrival of Covid-19 vaccines in Guyana marked another milestone in our bilateral relations. High Commissioner was happy to note that with India’s support, Guyana would be able to intensify the inoculation drive at such an early stage in the global fight against the pandemic. He hoped that the vaccine would help Guyana in saving lives, ameliorating suffering of Guyanese brothers and sisters and bringing the Guyanese economy back to normal. He said that Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi, in the middle of the pandemic, in September last year, had pledged that as the largest vaccine-producing country in the world, India's vaccine production and delivery capacity would be used to help all humanity in fighting this crisis.
On 4th February 2021, the Hon'ble Prime Minister tweeted, "We believe that the world is our family and want to play our role in strengthening the fight against COVID-19". The foundation of the Vaccine Maitri (Vaccine Friendship) initiative is India's civilisational adage of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" (The whole world is one family). Living upto that spirit, India has been extending her hand of friendship by supplying "Make in India" vaccines by donation and commercial arrangements.
As of 1st March 2021, India has provided 36.37 million vaccine doses to 35 countries and UN health workers and peacekeepers. In the coming days, it will supply vaccines to 39 more countries in Europe, North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, South-East Asia and the Pacific Islands. It is under this same spirit that India also trains and empowers human resources of over 160 countries every year under the flagship human-centric Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme at its own cost. Even during the pandemic, India ramped up its pharmaceutical production - especially of hydrochloroquine and paracetamol - to respond to growing global demands.
External Affairs Minister of India Dr. S. Jaishankar is on record saying that India supplied medicines to 150 countries during the pandemic, more than half on a non-commercial basis, to deal with medical complications arising from COVID.
HC Dr. Srinivasa quoted Dr. Jaishankar who said "The Bhagavad Gita states do your work with the welfare of others always in mind and that is Vaccine Maitri=Vaccine Friendship”. It may be noted here that Media calls our vaccine friendship effort as "Vaccine Diplomacy".
While inaugurating the world’s largest vaccination drive in India on 16 January 2021, PM Modi had said “Today, when we’ve developed our own vaccine, the world is looking at India with hope. As our vaccination drive will move forward, other countries of the world will benefit from it. India’s vaccine and our production capability must be used for human interest; this is our commitment.” The gifting of Covid-19 vaccines today fulfills the pledge made by our Prime Minister. Prime Minster Modi got vaccinated on 1st March 2021 with the indigenously made COVAXIN highlighting the Made in India (Atmanirbhar Bharat - Self-reliant India) theme - vaccine produced by indigenous Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Medical Council for Research (ICMR).
During this pandemic, the Governments of India and Guyana worked in partnership to save lives, and ensure medicine and other essential medical supplies to Guyana. In September 2020, India extended an assistance of “Quick Impact Community Development Projects” Fund of USD 1 million to the Government of Guyana for improving health infrastructure and capacities in Guyana and to enable the people in Guyana receiving more COVID-19 related medical care and health services. This financial assistance helped Guyana in procuring 35 Ventilators, 4800 PPE-clothing coverall, 4799 boxes of Masks, 4366 Face Shields, 70 boxes of Examination gloves, and various other supplies through PAHO to tide over the crisis unleashed by the COVID pandemic. Both Governments worked closely together and ensured quick procurement of the required medical supplies. Besides these, in 2020, the Government of India provided 30,000 Hydroxychloroquine tablets to the Government of Guyana as a gesture of goodwill in support of its fight against COVID-19. The Government of India has also offered the same level of assistance, i.e. US$ 1 million, to each CARICOM country.
India and Guyana share unique and special relations honoured by time and nourished by cultural affinities. Our shared values of democracy and rule of law strengthen our bilateral partnership based on mutual trust and mutual respect. Under the leadership of PM Modi, the traditional ties have acquired a new vision and vigour. The arrival of the COVID-19 vaccines in Guyana today, marks another milestone in our bilateral relations, that now serves as a model in CARICOM.
Trials of COVID-19 vaccines are progressing well in India. Currently, there are quite a few vaccines in different phases of trials. India’s first indigenous vaccine against the novel coronavirus, Covaxin developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Institute of Virology, Pune, is in the third phase of clinical trials. Others like ZyCOV-D developed by Zydus Cadilla in Ahmedabad, and Novavax’s protein subunit vaccine, are also undergoing trials in various stages. Multiple approved vaccines are likely to hit the Indian market in 2021. According to the Indian Health Minister Dr Harshvardhan, at least 18-19 coronavirus vaccine candidates including oral and nasal vaccines are in the pipeline and will be available for use in India in coming few months highlighting India’s predominant role as the “pharmacy of the world”.
India has executed many development projects in the past in Guyana under Grant and Line of Credit (LoC) funding, i.e. cricket stadium with a Grant of US$ 6 million and LoC of US$ 19 million, traffic lights in Georgetown at a cost of US$ 2.1 million and supply of irrigation & drainage pumps with LoC of US$ 4 million. Currently, few other Development Partnership Assistance projects are being undertaken. Project for Construction of Phase-I of East Bank Demerara-East Coast Demerara by-pass road with an LoC of US$ 50 million is to begin in the coming months as the process for Prequalification of Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Contractor has already started. The agreement for supplying a passenger ferry from India in 18 months under a Grant of US$ 8 million and LoC of US$ 10 million has been signed on 13-1-2021 between Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd. Of India and the Ministry of Public Works of Guyana. 9 fixed and 3 mobile heavy-duty irrigation & drainage pumps have been supplied to Guyana under an LoC of US $ 4 million and installation & commissioning of them is almost complete. Modernization of Regional Hospitls in Bartica, West Demerara and Suddie under an LoC of US $ 17.5 million is progressing with the Contract Agreement to be signed with the Indian company being finalised to undertake consultancy services for the design and supervision of civil works. India has also set up a Centre of Excellence in IT (CEIT) in Guyana in 2019 and now it has decided to upgrade the Centre to a CARICOM Regional CEIT. India offered 50 slots during 2019-20 for Guyanese scholars to be trained in India under the ITEC (Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation programme). Full scholarships are also offered under Cultural and Commonwealth schemes to study in India for graduation, Post Graduation degrees. as also scholarships for Diaspora Children and the Know India Programme for Diaspora Youth as well as a Pilgrimage Scheme for Elderly Diaspora members.
The High Commission is also working with the Government of Guyana on few other projects: Electronic Medical Patient Record (EMR) System for Guyana; Deputation of two experts from India to support the management of the Guyana Sugar Corporation and reviving the sugar estates/plants in Guyana; Solar power units to 30000 households under LoC US$ 10 million; Deputation of one legal expert in the Attorney General’s Chambers, Ministry of Legal Affairs, Guyana; Technical assistance from the Government of India to assist Guyana in the area of electoral reforms; Technical and training support from India to craft the industries and train the beneficiaries in Guyana in semi-precious jewellery industry, fruit processing and Bio-degradable ware; Deputation of 3 specialists from India in the field of Sustainable Aquaculture Management and Development; On-line courses of study for thousands of scholarships at the Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi and Jain (Deemed to be University), Bangalore and a Proposal for “Strengthening Fisheries Assessment and Management in CARICOM and CRFM Member States. India stands with Guyana in its growth and development and our strategic partnership and historical linkages are further strengthened with our continued interactions at all levels.
Few selected photographs and document titled "India: The World's Pharmacy Expands Its Reach in Global Health" are attached.
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