Health Minister Denies Vaccine Procurement Scam
Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said on Tuesday that not a single rupee of public money was lost in the vaccine procurement row over doses for Umrah pilgrims, and rejected claims of large-scale corruption in the deal. Dawn reported his remarks from a press conference in Islamabad held after a week of controversy over the procurement process.
The minister said a private company had bought the vaccines, while the full amount collected from applicants, Rs183 million, remained deposited in a National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) account. He said the health ministry would upload the inquiry report on its website so the public could read it.
What the controversy is about
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had ordered an inquiry into the procurement of meningococcal meningitis and influenza vaccines by Border Health Services-Pakistan (BHS) under a public-private partnership arrangement for pilgrims and overseas job seekers.
It was alleged that the previous vaccination arrangement cost about Rs1,250 per dose per person, while the amount under the new arrangement was about Rs4,500 per pilgrim. The gap between the two figures became the centre of the controversy.
The prime minister set up a five-member committee, headed by the secretary of the Cabinet Division, to examine the procurement process and decide whether it followed the relevant rules.
How the vaccine procurement went wrong
Mr Kamal said BHS had approached the ministry about vaccination requirements for people travelling abroad for Umrah. The ministry set up a procurement committee on May 9 and a grievance committee, headed by the director general of health, to handle complaints.
He said BHS officials then formed their own committees, including procurement and appellate committees, and bypassed the ministry’s arrangements in breach of the prescribed procedures.
The minister said the inquiry found that BHS officials had bypassed the Ministry of Health and broken Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules. Nadra was brought into the process through a public-private partnership arrangement, with payments deposited into its account.
He said the inquiry held BHS officials, members of the procurement committee and a later director responsible for endorsing the process. The ministry had carried out all the recommendations of the inquiry committee and would set up a new procurement committee.
The Prime Minister’s Office had also directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to act, and the officials concerned were arrested and sent to jail, Mr Kamal said.
The money trail
Rejecting social media claims of Rs10 billion in corruption, the minister said the Rs183 million collected from applicants remained in Nadra’s account. Neither the government nor the company supplying the vaccines had received any payment, he added.
He said the government had suffered no financial loss, although the vaccine supplier had incurred losses after buying the vaccines while the collected amount stayed in Nadra’s account.
The distinction matters. If the money is still in Nadra’s account, as the minister claims, then the loss sits with the supplier rather than the public purse, and the published inquiry report will let the public test that claim.
Why pilgrims need these vaccines
The vaccines at the centre of the row are meningococcal meningitis and influenza doses bought for Umrah pilgrims and overseas job seekers. Travellers in these groups need proof of vaccination before they can travel, which is why the procurement covers large numbers of people at a time.
That scale is also why the per-dose price matters so much. A difference of about Rs3,250 per dose, multiplied across thousands of pilgrims, quickly becomes a large sum, and it is why the prime minister ordered an inquiry.
Pakistan’s vaccination system has faced scrutiny before. The K-P government is running an HPV vaccination drive for 2.9 million girls, and the country plans to produce foot-and-mouth disease vaccines within a year. The drug regulator has also launched an app to check fake medicines, a reminder that verification matters as much in procurement as it does at the pharmacy counter.
Travellers should also note that documentation checks at airports have tightened. A visa scam was exposed at Islamabad airport this week, which shows why pilgrims and job seekers need to keep their vaccination and travel papers in order.
Frequently asked questions
What vaccines were involved in the controversy?
Meningococcal meningitis and influenza vaccines, bought by Border Health Services-Pakistan for Umrah pilgrims and overseas job seekers under a public-private partnership arrangement.
How much money was collected from applicants?
Rs183 million, according to the health minister. He says the full amount remains deposited in a Nadra account and neither the government nor the supplier has received any payment.
What was the price difference at the centre of the row?
The previous arrangement cost about Rs1,250 per dose per person, while the new arrangement charged about Rs4,500 per pilgrim, according to the allegations examined by the inquiry.
What action has been taken so far?
A five-member inquiry committee examined the procurement, the FIA arrested the officials concerned, and the ministry says it has carried out all the inquiry’s recommendations and will form a new procurement committee.
