Colombo (TIP): Sri Lanka has decided to ask for a $100 million loan from the IMF to procure 14 million doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine and finance other vaccination programme related costs, it was announced here on Wednesday. “Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella had proposed that Sri Lanka obtain the additional loan grant of $100 million under the programme of strategic preparation and response to Covid-19,” the government said in a statement. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has agreed to grant a supplementary loan of $100 million to assist Sri Lanka’s Covid-19 response, it added.

The decision made was to obtain the funds to procure 14 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine and also finance other vaccination programme related costs. The minister for pharmaceuticals Channa Jayasumana told Parliament on Tuesday that the government had already vaccinated over 50 per cent of the island nation’s 21 million population. “Our target is to vaccinate over 75 per cent of the population within the next few months,” he said.

The public health inspectors said those below the age of 30 had shown reluctance to get vaccinated. Only around 35 per cent of them had received the jabs by September 20. — PTI