Health minister denies vaccine scam allegations and says public money remains safe
Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal addressed a press conference in Islamabad on Tuesday to deny claims of financial loss during the Umrah pilgrim vaccine procurement controversy.
Minister presents facts on funds
The minister stated that not a single rupee of public money was lost in the controversy. He explained that a private company purchased the vaccines while applicants paid directly into an account. The entire collected sum of Rs183 million remains deposited in a National Database and Registration Authority account. This amount covers the costs for meningococcal meningitis and influenza vaccines intended for pilgrims and overseas job seekers.
Committee formed to examine process
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered an inquiry into the procurement process by Border Health Services-Pakistan under a public-private partnership arrangement. The secretary of the Cabinet Division led a five-member committee formed to review the rules and procedures. The previous arrangement cost around Rs1,250 per dose while the new arrangement costs approximately Rs4,500 per pilgrim. The ministry formed a procurement committee on May 9 and established a grievance committee led by the director general of health.
BHS officials created own groups
According to Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, BHS officials later established separate committees such as procurement and appellate bodies. After a week of disputes regarding how private companies obtained vaccines, he spoke to the entire country. The ministry plans to upload the inquiry report on its website to ensure full transparency for the public.
Reported by one outlet
Only one outlet has published this. Nothing here has been checked against a second report, so read it as that outlet's account and follow the link below for the original.
Reported by
1 independent outlet. Headline as published. Links open the original report.