The low arrival of the doses and the irregularities in the vaccination plan, by the National Government, have generated concern in the municipalities of the country. Three mayors seek to acquire, on their own, vaccines to combat COVID-19.
The mayor of Quito, Jorge Yunda, was the first to request an authorization from the Ministry of Health so that they can purchase vaccines to combat COVID-19. This week, he reiterated his request to the Government.
In the absence of a response, on his Twitter account, Jorge Yunda announced that he has USD 20 million to bring vaccines.
“We will do it with or without authorization and I will assume all the consequences, but I will not allow my city to be left in the infection,” said the mayor.
“If you don’t vaccinate the capital city, we will not get out of this tragedy and poverty. We have the possibilities of acquiring vaccines “, emphasized Yunda, in an interview.
In Quito, 87.444 confirmed cases of COVID-19 are reported, which makes it the city with the most infections nationwide.
The mayor of Guayaquil, Cynthia Viteri, delivered a similar request this Thursday, February 18, 2021. “We formally require the free importation of vaccines against Covid-19 for Guayaquil and Ecuador. The Mayor’s Office of Ecuador, together with the business associations, the Guayaquil Charity Board, the Guayas Medical Association and Private Clinics, made the formal request, ”the mayor wrote on her Twitter account.
In Guayaquil, until this Thursday, the Ministry of Health reported that it has 23.408 infected.
The mayor of Cuenca, Pedro Palacios, criticized that there is a limitation in the acquisition of vaccines by the Government and believes that the Municipalities should acquire the vaccines to achieve a better scope of the inoculation plan in the country.
“One more vaccine in Cuenca is one less in Loja. We can’t fight over this. What we need is to join in so that more vaccines come, ”he said.
The municipal authority reported that they are in the process so that, when the vaccines can be imported, the process is already advanced. “We are on the Pfizer waiting list and have spoken with Johnson & Johnson,” he added.
In Ecuador, the first 8.000 doses of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine arrived in the country on January 20. The next day the vaccination plan began, which was criticized by the medical personnel of various hospitals because 100% were not allocated to those who were in the first line and preference was given to administrative personnel. The plan of the Ministry of Health, in its zero phase or pilot plan, was to vaccinate all health workers who directly treat COVID-19 cases and in geriatric hospitals.
The program also had criticism of the Minister of Health, Juan Carlos Zevallos, for taking doses to vaccinate his mother and several people from a private residence for the elderly, which did not appear in the list of hospitals benefiting from the vaccine.
This January 17, another 16.380 vaccines arrived, which will complete the second dose of the beneficiaries of the first batch and will continue vaccinating medical personnel.
According to the latest report from the Ministry of Health, this Thursday there are 269.860 confirmed cases of COVID-19 nationwide and 15.444 deaths due to the pandemic.
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