Abu Dhabi: The UAE Ministry of Interior provided COVID-19 vaccine for 179 inmates in the country, the ministry said on Thursday.

The ministry recently set up a centre within the Federal Punitive and Correctional Establishments, to provide the vaccine for inmates willing to receive COVID-19 vaccine for free. According to a tweet by the ministry, 179 inmates received the vaccine on the first day.

Colonel Khalid Al Suwaidi, Director of the Federal Penal and Correctional Establishment in Abu Dhabi, said that the initiative was launched on the directives of Lt. General Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior. “The ministry launched the initiative for inmates willing to take the vaccine after explaining the mechanism of doses and answer the inmates’ questions by specialised officials,” Col Al Suwaidi said in a video posted by the ministry on Twitter.

Inmates, who took the jab spoke in the video, expressed their appreciation for the initiative that allowed them to be part of the ongoing national vaccination programme. “I would like to thank the Ministry of the Interior and UAE government to give us the opportunity to get the vaccine. We came voluntarily to take the vaccine,” said one of the inmates in the video.