President Maia Sandu said the Ministry of Heath, Labor and Social Protection didn’t take concrete steps for one of the COVID-19 vaccines validated at international level to reach the national hospitals. But Moldova could have had the vaccine now if the Ministry had been ready, IPN reports.

“The normative framework should be prepared and the categories of persons who must be vaccinated need to the decided. It goes to frontline healthcare workers, about 20,000 people in total, elderly people from residential institutions where the risks are big. I think the vaccine at the first stage should be also administered to teachers so that the education process is ensured in all the localities, especially there where the children do not have access to online learning,” Maia Sandu stated in the talk show “Natalia Morari’s Politics” on TV8 channel.

According to her, the presidential administration made several approaches to find out at what stage the Ministry is in the process of procuring vaccines. “We learned that a commission was set up and this held only one meeting and none of the necessary steps were taken,” stated President Sandu, noting she banks on the people from the responsible institutions so that these take measures swiftly.

The official noted that besides the 200,000 COVID-19 vaccines that Moldova is to receive from Romania, the country could also get other shots from the foreign partners, but fast steps should be taken in this regard.

“These 200,000 shots are a generous donation. The partners will make more donations if we prove that we can use the donated vaccines. It is very important to agree the details and to apply a mechanism for administering the vaccine as swiftly as possible,” stated Maia Sandu.