Forto: BiH is doing nothing to procure vaccines for its citizens, and the international community is aware of this

SARAJEVO, (Patria) – KS Prime Minister Edin Forto, and Ministers of Health Haris Vranić, Justice and Administration Lejla Brčić, Education Naida Hota-Muminović held a press conference today where they discussed the process of vaccine procurement, immunization, and the return of students to schools.

Forto emphasized that while countries are racing to achieve immunization against Covid 19 and curb the epidemic, saving what they can, for reasons unknown to us, the state of BiH is doing nothing on this issue.

“We are left to fend for ourselves. I am trying to procure vaccines for the citizens of KS through legal procedures, and we have the money for it. The international community is aware that the highest state level in BiH is doing nothing to procure vaccines for its citizens, and this is firsthand information. That is why BiH received priority in the Covax mechanism, and state and entity authorities refuse to inform us when the vaccines will arrive. KS will continue to try to obtain vaccines,” said the KS Prime Minister.

He added that humanitarian vaccines have also been offered, but that is not enough for systematic vaccination.

“We, as a government, want to procure vaccines and start immunization as soon as possible. If our state authorities manage to deliver vaccines, we will be happy, but we will also try to procure them ourselves. The law stipulates that they can only be procured commercially. I have had discussions, the minimum quantities that can be procured are 1.5 million doses at prices that no canton can afford individually, nor do they need such quantities,” Forto explained.

Forto added that the Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices of BiH has registered only the Russian Sputnik vaccine, of which 2,000 doses arrived in BiH upon the order of the RS Ministry of Health.

“We started procuring vaccines on the first day we were appointed, we surveyed the market, talked to manufacturers, and I call on our federal and state authorities to procure vaccines. The state authorities have not dealt with the procurement of vaccines for their citizens. We are managing this situation in KS, we will do everything that the experts recommend, if the measures prescribed at the federal or state level are not respected, then we are entering anarchy. The pandemic is not over, we are not on the way out, but we are deep in the crisis, and an increase in infections can happen at any moment. I urge citizens to adhere to epidemiological measures and take care of their health. The measures we have are among the more liberal ones compared to European countries,” Forto said.