DHAKA, May 2, 2023 (BSS) - Health Minister Zahid Maleque today said Bangladesh has got 11 lakh bivalent vaccines to prevent COVID-19 disease.

 "We have got 11 lakh bivalent COVID-19 vaccines from the WHO (World Health Organization) to fight against different severe variants of coronavirus including Omicron and Delta," he told a meeting at his ministry, an official release said.
 
The health minister said the WHO will provide 20 lakh more bivalent COVID-19 vaccines to protect the people from the deadly disease.

"We have launched Boikalic Sashtoseba as a pilot progrrame to discourage the people to go private hospitals and clinics," he added.

Maleque said on March 30, after working hours, doctors at 51 public hospitals under 39 upazilas of 12 districts started to see patients taking fees.

The government has started the boikalic Sashtoseba programme in a limited scale and it will be expanded in large scale, he said adding the boikalic Sashtoseba programme will be introduced at 100 more public hospitals within next week.