EPI reforms begin as FIA launches probe into vaccine wastage scandal

Islamabad
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has launched a probe to fix responsibility for wastage of 1.3 million precious doses of Pentavalent vaccine at the hands of the federal Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) this February.
Meantime, the Ministry of Health has removed the entire team of the Operations Chain of EPI — right from the director to the storekeeper-and has entrusted the USAID-funded Deliver project to reform the vaccine storage and management system in its entirety over the next three months.
Terming the vaccine scandal an “adversity that has been transformed into an opportunity for wide-ranging reforms of the system,” Minister of State for Health Saira Afzal Thursday told the media that two persons involved in the scandal have been repatriated back to the World Health Organisation (WHO) with a ban imposed on their entry into the EPI premises, while another two have been suspended.
The distraught minister, who has been sceptical of the role of partner agencies ever since she assumed charge of office, wondered how the technical support staff working in EPI on behalf of partner agencies could so easily become party to corrupt practices rather than performing their expected role. She claimed being awed to discover that the technical officer of the cold chain, who is under the accountability lens now, was also the son-in-law of Dr. Altaf Bosan, one of the past EPI managers.
“Further disciplinary action on the basis of negligence and pilferage will be taken in the light of the report of the inquiry committee,” Health Secretary Sheikh Ayub added. He was flanked by the new programme manager of EPI, Dr. Saqlain Gilani, who was prevented from delivering his presentation, initially due to technical reasons, and later on because the minister was more interested in visuals showing the ‘before’ and ‘after’ state of vaccine storage as the reform process continues.
Saira informed 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.