Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain has said that Tk4,394.08 crore has been spent so far on procuring Covid-19 vaccines.
He disclosed the information in parliament on Tuesday in response to a written question from Feni-2 MP Joynal Abdin.
Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram presided over the session, which began at 10:30am on the tenth day of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad session.
In his response, the minister said Tk4,685.22 crore was allocated in the 2020–21 fiscal year for importing and procuring Covid-19-related equipment, including vaccines. Of this amount, Tk4,394.08 crore has been spent on vaccines.
Detailing other expenditures under the vaccination program, he said Tk30.88 crore was spent on procuring syringes, Tk19.57 crore on transportation of vaccines across the country, and Tk99.78 lakh on shipping and related charges for syringes.
Responding to a separate question on possible irregularities or corruption in vaccine procurement, the minister said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has not received any specific complaint or information in this regard.
He added that the government remains committed to ensuring transparency and accountability, and that appropriate action will be taken if any irregularities are identified.
The minister also said that timely government measures helped the country return to normalcy quickly following the Covid-19 pandemic.