The committee chairperson Senator Kulsoom Perveen raised the matter and urged for a thorough inquiry through the Federal Investigation Agency.
The chairperson revealed that she had information of a large number of hepatitis vaccines having been stolen from NIH while the institute had not taken any action against the incident.
Barjis Qazi, National Manager Prime Minister Hepatitis Control Programme, said the incident had happened a while back, and added that the vaccine was worth Rs1 million and not Rs10 million. He said departmental inquiries had been conducted but the culprits had still not been revealed.
The committee asked the health ministry to pursue the case and proposed that the issue be referred to FIA for thorough investigation.
Expressing astonishment over the disappearance of such a large bulk of vaccines, the chairperson said that some officials might have tampered with the records to show that it had been purchased.
Meanwhile, Fazal Moula, Director National Institute of Rehabilitation briefed the committee about the steps being taken by an institute for the rehabilitation of disabled persons in the wake of the 2005 earthquake and terrorist attacks. Raising the matter of a controversy in land allotment, he told the committee that CDA had allotted a plot for the construction of a spacious building for the institute, but later they were informed that the plot had been allotted to another party, despite having deposited Rs4.7 million of cost and Rs1.3 million penalties for late deposit.
He added that a large number of disabled persons from the earthquake-hit areas were still taking shelter in the institute as the government had not made any permanent arrangement for their accommodation. He said former first lady Sehba Musharraf had once handed over keys of houses to these persons, which never materialised.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 13th, 2010.
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