President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko emphasizes that the development of its own domestic COVID-19 vaccine is a matter of honour for the Ministry of Health and the National Academy of Sciences.
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko emphasizes that the development of its own domestic COVID-19 vaccine is a matter of honour for the Ministry of Health and the National Academy of Sciences. Moreover, such a vaccine must be the best. This was stated by President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko today at a meeting with the Minister of Health of Belarus Dmitry Pinevich, as reported by a BELTA correspondent.
"The domestic vaccine is a matter of honour for Gusakov and Pinevich, the Ministry of Health and the National Academy of Sciences, to develop the best vaccine in the shortest possible time. Why the best - because we already have experience. Both Russians, Europeans, Chinese, and Indians. Many have already produced these vaccines. We already know something, we are not starting from scratch," the head of state stated.
According to him, if necessary, the Chinese side is also ready to support and assist Belarus in this matter.
"We need to build on the achievements of those who have already done it and create a good vaccine. If it turns out to be reliable, high-quality, with a 98-99% guarantee - it will be a breakthrough. We must strive for excellence," the Belarusian leader stressed.
Alexander Lukashenko also inquired about the timeline - at what stage the work of Belarusian scientists on the development of a domestic vaccine is currently at. "We agreed that next year we will have our own vaccine. And by that time, we will have vaccinated almost our entire population - 60% in the first stage. If necessary, we will add more. But with a purchased vaccine and one produced using Russian technologies," the President said.
He noted that Belarus is creating additional capacities for vaccine production besides the Russian ones, and it is possible that this product, created using Russian technology, will eventually be in demand not only in Belarus but also in Russia itself.
The President inquired about the progress of the population vaccination in Belarus, noting that there is no rush in this regard in the country. "Everything is proceeding calmly. There are enough vaccines. We are vaccinating those who wish. We are providing doctors, teachers, retail workers, who have direct contact, with Russian and Chinese vaccines. There are other offers, but this is sufficient for us for now," he noted.
Alexander Lukashenko expressed gratitude to the Chairman of the PRC, Xi Jinping, for the free supply of 100,000 doses of vaccines, and the Chinese side is also ready to cooperate in terms of further procurement of the drug. "We were told: they will provide as much as needed. I am not talking about the Russians. Here, as agreed with President Putin, he proposed: you will be the first to whom we will supply the vaccine. He kept his promise. We are receiving these vaccines systematically and have produced them using their technology," said the Head of State.
He noted that he plans to visit RUP "Belmedpreparaty" where the project for bottling the Russian vaccine "Sputnik V" is being implemented. "Our conversation today does not cancel or replace this event in any way," he told Dmitry Pinevich.
Dmitry Pinevich
In general, Alexander Lukashenko emphasized that people should be given the widest possible range of opportunities to get vaccinated against coronavirus, including, for those who wish, on a paid basis. "People want to get the vaccine. They will get it. Some want it faster, vaccines from other countries, fine, we will purchase them. Let it be on a paid basis. There is no need to hide this. We need to open up the opportunity for some to get vaccinated on a paid basis. This is a matter for each person," the Belarusian leader stressed.
The President also inquired with the Minister about the current epidemiological situation. According to him, the situation is developing well. In addition, as the practice in both Belarus and other countries shows, the statistics on COVID-19 detection directly depend on the number of tests performed. "This is a marker. But this is not the main thing. The main thing is pneumonia. Among them are COVID-19 pneumonias. I am also aware of the figures. I am interested in the dynamics of pneumonia, including COVID-19 pneumonia, and the future forecast," the Belarusian leader noted.
Alexander Lukashenko noted that currently only about 240-280 patients require treatment with ventilators, of which there are about 2.5 thousand in healthcare organizations. In addition to this, there are anaesthetic and respiratory machines. "That is, we are only using 8-9% of the total. Well, thank God. Therefore, I am interested in the dynamics and prognosis," the President said.
The Head of State also inquired about the conclusions that can be drawn from the accumulated experience of treating patients with coronavirus, and how Belarus compares to other countries.
Another issue discussed at the meeting was the completion of the construction of certain healthcare facilities. In particular, it was about the reconstruction of the anesthesiology and intensive care unit with neonatal intensive care beds at the Republican Scientific and Practical Center "Mother and Child", the construction of a surgery and transplantology building on Semashko Street in Minsk, and the construction of a cardiac surgery unit at the Mogilev Regional Hospital. "These are three facilities that we must practically complete this year. We must not delay the construction, as it is costly," Alexander Lukashenko pointed out.
BELTA