ISLAMABAD: Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal has announced that the government is making the inquiry committee's report on vaccine procurement public, with the findings being published on the official website of the Ministry of National Health Services.
Addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Tuesday, Mustafa Kamal said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed the release of the report following an investigation into alleged irregularities in the vaccine procurement process.
The health minister clarified that the government had not spent a single rupee on the entire procurement process. He said an amount of Rs183.055 million had been charged for the vaccines, adding that the full amount was deposited into the National Database and Registration Authority's (NADRA) account.
According to Mustafa Kamal, the financial loss resulting from the transaction was suffered by the vaccine supplier rather than the government.
He also rejected reports claiming that vaccines worth Rs10 billion had been purchased, saying the inquiry committee's report contained no reference to such a transaction.
Explaining the background of the controversy, the minister said Border Health Services (BHS) had established its procurement committee on June 10.
He described the procurement process adopted by BHS as a violation of established procurement regulations, emphasising that government purchases must follow prescribed procedures and legal requirements.
Mustafa Kamal explained that Border Health Services had incorrectly applied the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework alongside standard procurement rules, creating procedural irregularities.
He further disclosed that a company involved in the matter had approached the court in connection with the vaccine procurement controversy.
Following media reports highlighting alleged irregularities in the procurement process, the prime minister constituted a high-powered inquiry committee to examine the matter and determine responsibility.
According to the health minister, the inquiry committee held Border Health Services responsible for the identified irregularities. The investigation also found that BHS had failed to keep the Ministry of National Health Services informed about the procurement process.
Mustafa Kamal said the publication of the inquiry report would make the committee's findings available to the public.
The announcement comes amid questions surrounding the vaccine procurement arrangements, the application of government procurement regulations and the financial implications of the transaction.
The report is expected to provide further details about the committee's findings and the administrative shortcomings identified during the investigation.
