NA body meeting: Polio vaccine worth billions of rupees at risk of being destroyed
Polio vaccine worth billions of rupees may be destroyed due to a shortage of funds being faced by the Federal Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) Cell. Power to 27 warehouses under the control of the cell might be suspended if bills are not paid on time.
Even a slight discontinuation in the electricity supply could affect the vaccines which would ultimately affect 5.5 million children across the nation, said EPI National Manager Dr Zahid Larik, while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) here on Thursday.
The committee met to review funding, resources and ongoing and future projects of EPI, National AIDS Control Programme and Malaria Control Programme.
Dr Larik said that the Ministry of Planning and Development was not releasing funds, putting their entire operation in jeopardy.
He also expressed his concern over the fact that the provinces had not yet placed procurement orders for the polio vaccine as they were supposed to do after devolution. Following devolution, the federal EPI cell had the budget to stock the vaccine for only a few months, he said.
The committee members suggested the Planning Commission release necessary funds to the cell.
The presentation by Malaria Control Programme Director Aslam Khan did not fare as well. The committee expressed serious reservations over the programme’s performance. Senator Kulsum Parveen said the presentation does not reflect ground realities. “Funds are misused and the programme is suffering.”
She expressed dissatisfaction over relief work in flood-hit areas, especially in Balochistan where a large number of people are at risk of contracting hepatitis C, malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases.
Senator Karim Ahmed Khawaja added that there are no medicines or nets in some flood-hit areas in Balochistan and Sindh.
Senator Parveen suggested hiring a consultant to monitor the programme. She also suggested an audit of the NGOs working with the health sector.
The last presentation was made by National AIDS Control Programme Project Director Dr Qazi Mujtaba Kamal. He also said the programme lacked funds. They staff has not been salaries since June, due to which one of their workers committed self-immolation, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 5th, 2012.
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