Following the cancellation of the current Border Health Services vaccination framework, the Ministry of National Health Services intends to call for new bids in a month to acquire influenza and meningococcal meningitis doses for international passengers.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif demanded an investigation into Border Health Services following complaints of deep financial corruption and procedural mistakes linked to a public and private partnership agreement issued by the agency.
Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal verified that authorities put the current immunization procedure on hold for religious pilgrims and citizens heading overseas for jobs. He noted that law enforcement detained Border Health Services personnel who published the bid document without ministry authorization.
Until the central procurement committee launches a fresh bid and sets up a new procedure, the ministry instructed pilgrims to organize required shots via their travel agencies.
The investigation started after claims surfaced that the revised agreement pushed immunization expenses up to nearly Rs. 4,500 for every pilgrim, whereas the older setup cost about Rs. 1,250 per dose.
In the meantime, seven businesses filed petitions at the Islamabad High Court to contest reported corruption within the auction procedure.
