the media that the Deliver project has made a US $1.5 million support for reformation of the system. When asked if USAID has been given overall charge of the reform initiative, Saira clarified that when the vaccine scandal came to light, “EPI did not even have two competent people to set things straight. We are thankful to Deliver project for providing support to reform the federal EPI cold rooms and dry stores which includes warehouse equipment, scanners, computers, security cameras, safety equipment, EPI Hotline, and video conferencing capability with the provincial EPI programmes.”
Saira mentioned that 30 supply chain experts have introduced GS 1 bar-coding and scanning to validate quantities of vaccines and ancillary products in cold rooms, freezers, and dry stores, putting data online in the vLMIS to optimize stock management.
“As of today, validated vaccine data of Pakistan can be accessed from anywhere in the world through vLMIS. Moreover, EPI operations can be monitored online,” Saira said. The minister also shared that a state-of-the-art vLMIS operations room is being established at the federal EPI, which will work as a nerve-centre for dissemination of data. Similar reforms, she said, will be introduced in the provincial EPI stores as well.
EPI, which is housed in a humungous building, unfortunately lacks the brains or the requisite human resource for efficient vaccine management. Had it not been for mismanagement of vaccine stocks, chronic deficiency of human resource, improper inventory management, and insufficiency of cold chain temperature monitoring equipment, 30% of the US $3.3 million worth of vaccines that have been wasted, would have been utilised for protection of child health. “We have advertised 49 posts for EPI. Once hired, these officials will be trained on internationally accepted best practices,” Saira added.
The media was told that five policy and operational level documents which will be used for compliance at EPI have been prepared, and that procedures of receipts, storage and issuance/transportation of vaccine are being brought into conformity with international protocols. “Physical count, inventory management and re-arrangement of vaccines as per batch number, expiry date and VVM is being carried out. Moreover, upgrading and renovation of stores at Federal EPI is underway,” Saira added.