Trinidad's Vary Medical still wants chance to supply 3 million covid19 vaccines

MANAGER at Vary Medical & Scientific Co Ltd Yashpal Sharma is adamant that his company can secure three million doses of the India-made Covishield vaccine and do so much faster than the government but needs the government's approval to secure the order. Sharma said the company's interest is a "humanitarian effort."

Last Wednesday, Sunday Newsday met with Sharma, who explained the company has a distributor connection with the Serum Institute in India and even with a pause on export of the vaccine by India, can still secure the doses. He said they are "at the front of the fountain" but, without government approval, Vary may lose its access to the vaccines in a guaranteed 30-35 days window per purchase order.

“We can wait for Covax. We can wait for donations. We can wait for some philanthropist to put their hand in their pocket and say I will send some for you, or you can go to an authorised supply chain. Pay the money, if you have the money, and buy the vaccines.”

Last Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced that India and China will be donating a total of 140,000 vaccines. Of the donated doses, 40,000 will be from India, which is the Covishield vaccine, and 100,000 Sinopharm from China, which is yet to be approved by the World Health Organization. TT is due to receive 33,600 Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines by March 31 through Covax and a second batch in May.

Sharma said he wrote to the Prime Minister, Health Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister informing them of the availability of the vaccines based on the company's relationship with global distributor SkyQuest Technology Group, and only received an acknowledgement letter from the Office of the Prime Minister. He said he was disappointed as he believes that at the very least those in authority can speak with him and his company about what they can offer.

"I don’t know what influences the government's decision but I think all of us want to see the virus out of TT and life resume as normal. The government is doing really well so far. It is disappointing that it has taken this long."

The Health Ministry reissued a press release saying it will not meet with Vary when asked whether it will consider doing so, while Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne directed Sunday Newsday to the Ministry of Health for all responses. The Prime Minister addressed the issue at Saturday's press conference, saying the government will not enter any discussions with suppliers as the vaccine is not available from manufacturers for commercial sale.

Sharma said he will write to the government ministers again with a hope of getting a different response.

He said other Caribbean countries are using the same supply chain to access Covishield, but not with Vary as the intermediary. He added that there was an idea to extend the offer to other Caribbean countries but the company wanted to make a a presentation to TT first.

“All we need a letter of intent from the government in order to gain access to the vaccines, and that letter is not binding.”

He said the pricing of the vaccines is not decided by the company and the government will not have to pay it any money. Vary, he said, gets paid a finder’s fee by the supplier, based on the amount sold and only after the full payment is made and vaccines delivered.

"This is not about the money and who getting to supply vaccines, this is about the country getting back to normal. This is about humanitarian effort."

Vary was thrown into the spotlight last Sunday after a leaked document from HewaSky Quest Ltd – part of the SkyQuest group – to the Ministry of Health seeking a partnership to secure three million doses of Covishield.

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh, in a media release last week, said: “The local authorised distributor for AstraZeneca and AstraZeneca themselves confirmed that Vary Medical and Scientific Company is not authorised to offer covid19 vaccines for sale, on behalf of AstraZeneca,” adding that the ministry is not considering meeting with the company either. Vary Medical is not the local distributor for AstraZeneca products.

"We have no authorisation with Oxford AstraZeneca, we have authorisation from the manufacturers of Covishield to provide Covishield to TT. We have nothing to do with AstraZeneca and their subsidiaries," Sharma confirmed.

A Google search for HewaSky Quest Ltd showed the company was incorporated in June 2014. The signatory on the letter to the Ministry of Health, Akash Bhavsar, who signed as managing director HewaSky Quest Global Ltd, is also the managing director of SkyQuest Technology Group. The company’s website says SkyQuest is "a global market intelligence, innovation management and commercialisation organisation that connects innovation to new markets, networks and collaborators for achieving sustainable development goals."

The company said it has a presence in the US, Canada, India and Hong Kong.

Sunday Newsday sent seven questions to SkyQuest Technology Group, which were forwarded to Sharma, who answered them. Sharma said the relationship between Vary and SkyQuest began in January. He added that the company did not supply TT with any goods prior to the meeting.

"The company has not done pharmaceutical supply business with Caricom countries in the past. Vary is the local sales agent in this transaction. The supply channel does not have any other intermediary in the Caricom region. The supply company supplies pharmaceutical products, mainly manufactured by the Serum Institute globally."

Vary has two listed addresses, one in Port of Spain and another in Chaguanas. When visited by Sunday Newsday, the Chaguanas address had no signage and there was no physical evidence of the company’s existence there. Sharma said the Port of Spain address was an old one that is now used as a mailing address only. The company’s Chaguanas office, he said, does not have any signs as it supplies medical equipment for hospitals, both private and public, and does not supply to the general public.