The Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) on Wednesday responded to a letter issued by Transparency International Pakistan (TIP) wherein it stated that the decision to allow private imports of Covid-19 vaccines by the incumbent government was a “deliberate policy tool”.
The allowance of privately imported vaccine would be used to facilitate the inculcation of those members of the society who are not yet part of the government’s mass vaccination programmes, NHS Secretary Aamir Ashraf Khawaja said in the letter.
“It was a well-concerned decision of the federal government to allow the private sector to import vaccine as the national vaccination priorities favoured the healthcare workers and the elderly, involving some lag in reaching other segments of the society.”
In the letter, it was stated that there initially had been no price set for imported vaccines, but the government had later decided to issue a provision of the Drug Pricing Policy under was applied to Covid vaccines “to keep a check on prices instead of leaving it solely to free-market dynamics”.
The NHS secretary pointed out that the government was fixing the maximum price and hoped that this would allow capitalistic competition and free-market dynamics to lower to the price of the vaccine in the private market.
Earlier, TIP had asked Prime Minister Imran Khan to cancel the policy of allowing private the sector to import the Covid-19 vaccine.
According to a letter to the premier in this regard, the global civil society organisation had said that governments all over the world are procuring and administering vaccines to their citizens for free as it is the state’s responsibility.
TIP Chairperson Justice (r) Nasira Iqbal had pointed out that Pakistan is one of the first countries to allow the private sector to import and sell Covid-19 vaccines, a move that will provide a window of corruption.
“The government’s vaccines may be sold to private hospitals,” the letter had warned.
Separately, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Health Dr Faisal Sultan on Wednesday said the government believed in merit, transparency and good governance.
The digitalization of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), with the introduction of e-offices, was a major step towards the realization of good governance and transparency, he added.
Dr Faisal Sultan was addressing the ceremony to handing over of management system documents to DRAP and inauguration of its e-office through video link.
He said the decades-old record of DRAP would now be accessible after its digitalization, which was undoubtedly a great achievement. The instant delivery of services and getting information could only be made possible through system automation.
Dr Faisal Sultan stressed that in today’s modern age, the people were improving their products or getting their required services and products through a single click.
He added the trace and track system would help other institutions save their precious time and resources. The government would eliminate corrupt practices in institutions by introducing a sophisticated and transparent system, the SAPM stated.
Appreciating the induction of the Pakistan Integrated Information Management System in DRAP, digitalization of its record and opening of its E-Office, the SAPM thanked the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for extending their technical support to make it possible.
Moreover, the World Health Organisation (WHO) in a telephonic conversation assured SAPM Dr Faisal that it is working with vaccine manufacturers to ensure the drug is delivered to all countries despite “supply challenges”.
“WHO and the COVAX partners are committed to delivering vaccines to all countries despite supply challenges,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted after a phone call with Dr Sultan.
The WHO chief added that by speeding up the process, COVAX will be able to “expand its portfolio and deliver doses quicker and in larger quantities” to all countries.
“I had a very productive conversation last evening with Dr Tedros on Covid vaccine supply chain especially via GAVI to maintain an adequate and consistent availability, across the world,” said Dr Sultan this morning.
Currently, Pakistan is vaccinating the country’s healthcare workers and people over the age of 60 after launching the vaccination drive on February 2.
Pakistan is using the Sinopharm vaccine developed by state-run China National Pharmaceutical Group, which has shown to be 79 per cent efficacy.
Meanwhile, Indus Hospital Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Abdul Bari Khan stressed the need to wear a face mask and observe other safety precautions against the coronavirus even after getting vaccinated against the deadly disease.
Addressing a seminar titled “Business responses to Covid-19 pandemic” organised by the National Forum for Environment and Health (NFEH), he said that observance of the safety precautions against the deadly infectious disease remained compulsory even after vaccination as the human body required some days after the inoculation to develop the immune system against the coronavirus.
He informed the audience of the seminar that the scientific data available so far showed that all forms of vaccines invented against the coronavirus were effective against the highly contagious disease as the use of any of them provided the necessary protection against the pandemic.
