Harmon asks Health Minister for details on Sputnik V vaccine deal

Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon on Friday formally asked Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony for details about the purchase of 200,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine.

Already Dr. Anthony has said he would be willing to provide details to Mr. Harmon depending on what is requested.

President Irfaan Ali late Thursday said the batch numbers are written on the vaccination cards issued to persons who have gotten the jabs.

The Health Minister said the Russian Direct Investment Fund had referred the Guyana government to the Sheikh in the United Arab Emirates to purchase the jabs worth more than GYD$1.2 billion.

He also has already said publicly that the Russian-made vaccines were flown from Russia to the United Arab Emirates and then to Guyana.

The Health Minister has acknowledged that the Sputnik V vaccines have not yet been approved by the World Health Organization,  but using the example of more than 70 countries worldwide that have authorised their use, Guyana has issued Emergency Use Authorisation.

The Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine is among those used by Guyana and other countries before WHO approval.

Following is the full text of Mr. Harmon’s letter to the Health Minister.

OFFICE OF THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION Lot 39, Croal Street,

Georgetown,

Guyana,

South America

Tel: +592 503 2465

Dr. Frank Anthony

Minister of Health

Ministry of Health

1 Brickdam,

Georgetown, Guyana.

Dear Dr. Anthony, Re: Information on Sputnik V Vaccine

Reference is made your disclosure in the National Assembly on Monday 14, 2021, that the Sputnik-V vaccines procured for Guyana for use in its fight against the COVID 19 pandemic, were not procured directly from the Government of Russia, but through a middleman whom you disclosed to be Sheik Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum.

Accordingly, I shall be grateful if you could provide the following information:

1. The quantities and batch numbers of the vaccines purchased from Sheik Al Maktoum and/or Umar Zahoor and their partners;

2. Shipping information including transshipment information and the conditions under which vaccines were stored for shipment;

3. The procurement process utilized including the due diligence done on the supplier.

You would agree that it is important that Guyanese be assured that their health and safety are not being jeopardised and to this end, transparency and public disclosure of the details surrounding the procurement of the Sputnik-V vaccine are important.

I look forward to your earliest provision of the information requested as it will go a long way in assuaging the understandable concerns of Guyanese.

Sincerely, .Joseph Harmon, MSM, MP Leader of the Opposition