Egyptian Ambassador praises Lanka’s vaccination drive

Egyptian Ambassador in Colombo Hussein El Saharty on Monday praised the national vaccination drive in Sri Lanka and said the country had performed better and more efficiently than under similar campaigns in many developed nations, the Health Ministry said yesterday.

During a meeting with Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella, the Ambassador said that the Lankan vaccination drive was speedier and more successful compared to the results and experiences in some developed countries, the ministry said in a release.

Ambassador El Saharty had said that action would be expedited to draft a MoU for exchange of medical knowledge and expertise between Sri Lanka and Egypt, which he said was producing Sinovax and other medicines related to complexities of the COVID-19 virus.

Minister Rambukwella said that youth between the ages of 20 and 29 years were being vaccinated currently and the government was studying plans to make it mandatory for people to show proof of vaccination to enter public places, the release said.

Associated with the Minister were Secretary to the Ministry Maj. Gen. Dr. Sanjeewa Munasinghe and Director General of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardena.