“We are not going to stop this process” Anthony responds to Harmon on Sputnik V

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony is standing by the government’s acquisition and purchase of the Sputnik V vaccine through an arrangement with Dubai’s Sheik Ahmed Dalmook Al-Maktoum who visited Guyana last November.

On Thursday, Dr Anthony said “We are not going to stop this process,” in a direct response to Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon’s call for the government to suspend using the Sputnik V vaccines until certain questions are answered and documents made public.

On Thursday, Harmon called on President Irfaan Ali, “to come clean,” as he said the government should explained how it decided to buy the vaccines through the arrangement with the Sheik and should explain why the government is paying “double the costs” for Sputnik V.

In a hastily called press conference, Dr Anthony described the arrangement as an “authentic process” as he said the government had spoken to a number of “options” including China, Russia and the European Union.

“It is safe” Dr Anthony maintained as he said the vaccines were given authorisation by the local Food and Drug Administration.

Guyana has acquired some 400,000 doses of Sputnik V through this sole source arrangement with Sheik Ahmed Dalmook Al-Maktoum.