A Catholic nurse has become the first recipient of the COVID-19 vaccine in Bangladesh as the government officially started inoculations in the capital Dhaka on January 27.
Runu Veronica Costa, a Catholic nurse at Kurmitola General Hospital, received the first dose of the vaccine at 4:09 p.m.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the vaccination program through a video conference from Ganobhaban.
Nurse Runu graduated from St. Joseph's School in Savar and joined the nursing profession from Kumudini Nursing Institute. She is a senior staff nurse at Kurmitola General Hospital in Dhaka.
Sheik Hasina asked Runu if she was afraid. The nurse shook her head.
Sheikh Hasina said, "You are very brave."
"Runu, I wish you good health and stay well. I pray for you and God bless you, " said the prime minister.
After Runu, the vaccine was administered to Dr. Ahmed Lutfur Moben of the Kurmitola General Hospital at 4:10 p.m.; Prof Dr. Nasima Sultana of the Directorate General of Health Services at 4:12 p.m.; Deputy Commissioner of Police Md. Didarul Islam at 4:13 p.m.; and Brig Gen. M Imran Hamid of the Bangladesh Army at 4:14 p.m.
"It is our duty to ensure the basic rights of the people of Bangladesh,” said Prime Minister Hasina in a video message. "We hope that this will save the people of the country from the coronavirus,” she added.
During the trial run, another 690 people will be vaccinated at five government hospitals in Dhaka on January 28. - Nikhil Gomez / RVA News
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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