Covid-19: SHC directs DRAP to fix price of Sputnik-V vaccine in 10 days

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Monday directed the federal government’s drug regulatory authority to fix the price of life-saving Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik-V within 10 days.

The direction came on the lawsuit of a pharma company against the drug regulatory authority’s notification with regard to the withdrawal of exemption on Covid-19 vaccines import to the extent of 1 million doses of Sputnik-V.

To a court query about the fixation of the vaccine price by the federal cabinet, the federal law officer and the DRAP counsel submitted that the cabinet was of the view that the price cannot be fixed in view of ad-interim order operating in the lawsuit.

Justice Nadeem Akhtar of the Sindh High Court observed that the federal cabinet's view was absolutely misconceived as the statement on behalf of the DRAP was already given to the SHC’s division bench that the price of vaccine shall be fixed by the federal government within a week and progress report will be submitted before the court.

The federal law officer undertook before the court on behalf of the federal cabinet that the price of the vaccine shall be fixed within 10 days and the same shall be placed before the court on the next date of hearing.

The counsel of the pharma company submitted he will file all the relevant information, including number of ampules imported and sold by the plaintiff and the names of all such persons to whom the vaccine has been administered.

The counsel of the plaintiff and defendants submitted that no factual controversy was involved in the lawsuit and it could be decided on the basis of legal questions or issues involved in the case. The federal law officer submitted that the government will file a written statement so that issues involving the question of the law could be settled on the next date of hearing.