PMA Lahore endorses
TIP stance
Amraiz Khan Lahore
Transparency International Pakistan (TIP) has warned the Punjab and Sindh government not to purchase 900 times costly Corona Vaccines instead of cheaper ones available in the International market.
A letter in this effect written to concerned provincial governments by the TIP speaks, “Pakistan is a developing country and needs economic procurements, and not 900 times costlier products”.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Punjab government has allocated Rs. 1.5 billion while the Sindh government has specified Rs. 500 millions for the same purpose.
TIP would like to congratulate the Provincial Government of Punjab and Sindh for their active efforts for the purchase of COVIO- 19 vaccine to fight the pandemic. This indicates the purchase price of less than $10 per dose.
As the global prices set for the COV ID-19 vaccine range from the cheapest $4. TI Pakistan recommends that the provincial governments should negotiate with manufacturers of approved COVID-19 vaccine at the lowest cost, which is barely 10% of the costliest vaccine.
This means with the same amount of Rs. 1.5bn, vaccine for 2,500,000 doses of AstraZeneca can be purchased against only 1 million doses of Sputnik Y vaccine.
It is also to point out that on 21st January 2021, the Mr. Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund RDIF has announced publicly Sputnik V is now registered in UAE and that “The price of Sputnik V is less than $10 per shot, making it affordable around the world”.
Additionally, to ensure that the access to COVID-19 vaccine is fair, transparent and equitable, Transparency International has called upon all the governments to disclose COVID-19 vaccine related information.
On the other hand Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Lahore has also criticized the procurement of costly vaccines by the Punjab government saying that the Punjab government should go for Sinopharm, a Chinese manufactured vaccine.
Talking about the Chinese vaccine PMA Lahore Secretary General, Dr. Malik Shahid Shoukat said that Sinopharm is a cheaper vaccine with many positive characteristics including Pre-inoculation trail has been done in Pakistan and it has been established that it is safe for human use.
Secondly it is in accordance with the Additional Technique of vaccine of China.
The disappearance of corona vaccines from hospitals speaks volumes about the health department’s incompetence, inattention and mismanagement, PMA lamented.
