Vaccination waste found at scrap shop in Punjab

Health dept suspends employee over negligence

LAHORE:

Hundreds of kilogrammes of syringes and vaccine bottles allegedly stolen during recent inoculation campaigns were sold by health department employees to a scrap shop.

Negligence or involvement of the provincial health department's own officials is suspected in the pilferage. There are also reports of concerns among the donors about the theft during vaccination campaigns.

However, the Punjab Health Department says that used syringes were stolen during various vaccination drives. It also denied the theft of waste syringes from the typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) campaign.

On the other hand, the department suspended Vaccinators Association Lahore President Salman Khan after finding him guilty in an inquiry.

According to reports, a large quantity of syringes meant for use in vaccination in the provincial capital were allegedly stolen from the stores and it is suspected that some employees of the health department were involved in the theft.

The TCV 2021 campaign was launched in Punjab from February 1 to 15. It was the biggest campaign of the year in which thousands of children's were given the vaccine and millions of rupees were allocated for the promotion of the initiative.

According to sources in Punjab Health department, millions of rupees worth of vaccine and syringes were stored in Lahore's various areas. Due to the negligence of the department, bottles and syringes were stolen, the sources alleged.

"Around 15 maunds of syringes and vaccine bottles were found at a scrap shop in the Kot Lakhpat area where they had been sold by department employees," a senior officer of Punjab Health Department told The Express Tribune.

Health department teams and police confiscated the vaccine and syringes. However, some officials of the department tried to cover up the matter and the material was set on fire, the officer added.

However, due to the concerns of various donor agencies, the health department pursued the matter and some individuals were found guilty.

The officer said the illegal sale of the scrap was a common practice but the matter were highlighted after the arrest of scrap shop owner in the case. Theft of hospital waste is a daily routine, he added.

A spokesperson for the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department said Provincial Secretary Muhammad Usman immediately took action and the department launched an inquiry into the matter. It was proved that used syringes and bottles were sold and scrap dealers Faizan and Sabz Khan had purchased the illegal medical waste from Liaqatabad Dispensary.

The confiscated material includes syringes and other items used in different campaigns. In the inquiry, negligence in monitoring of the vaccination scrap was proved.

The case's referral to the anti-corruption authorities was recommended, while an employee, Salman Khan, was suspended.

However, the spokesman clarified that syringes and bottles used in the anti-typhoid campaign were not found in the stolen waste.

Hundreds of factories in various cities are allegedly involved in illegally purchasing hospital waste and using it for producing pots, toys, syringes and other items that pose a threat to the health of citizens.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 26^th, 2021.