Health Minister Denies Vaccine Scam Allegations
ISLAMABAD: Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal has denied allegations of a vaccine procurement scam. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, he said no public money was lost in the controversy over vaccines for Umrah pilgrims.
He said he wanted to present the facts before the nation after a week-long controversy over the vaccine procurement process.
Rs183 Million Remains in Nadra Account
The minister said a private company purchased the vaccines. He added that the full amount collected from applicants, Rs183 million, is still deposited in a National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) account.
He rejected social media claims of Rs10 billion in corruption. He said neither the government nor the vaccine supplier had received any payment.
Inquiry Ordered by Prime Minister
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had ordered an inquiry into the purchase of meningococcal meningitis and influenza vaccines by Border Health Services-Pakistan (BHS). The purchase was made under a public-private partnership arrangement for pilgrims and people seeking jobs overseas.
A five-member committee, led by the secretary of the Cabinet Division, was formed to examine the process and check if it followed the relevant rules.
What the Inquiry Found
Mr Kamal explained that BHS had approached the ministry about vaccination needs for people travelling abroad for Umrah. The ministry formed a procurement committee on May 9 and a grievance committee headed by the director general of health.
However, the minister said BHS officials later created their own committees, including procurement and appellate committees. He said this bypassed the ministry’s arrangements and violated set procedures.
The inquiry found that BHS officials bypassed the Ministry of Health and broke Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules. Nadra was included through a public-private partnership arrangement, with payments deposited into its account.
Action Against Officials
The minister said the inquiry held BHS officials, members of the procurement committee and a subsequent director responsible for endorsing the process. He added that the ministry had implemented all the recommendations of the inquiry committee and would constitute a new procurement committee.
He said the Prime Minister’s Office directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to take action, following which the officials concerned were arrested and sent to jail.
Cost Difference and Financial Loss
It was alleged that the old vaccination arrangement cost about Rs1,250 per dose per person. Under the new arrangement, the amount was around Rs4,500 per pilgrim.
The minister said the government suffered no financial loss. However, the vaccine supplier faced losses after buying the vaccines while the collected amount stayed in Nadra’s account.
Transparency
The health ministry will upload the inquiry report on its website to ensure transparency.
Published in Dawn, November 11th, 2026
Source: dawn