ISLAMABAD: The Federal Government has reportedly decided to allow commercial importers of pharmaceuticals to import coronavirus vaccine and make it available on commercial basis, sources close to Secretary, of National Health Services & Coordination Division told Business Recorder.
On December 1, 2020, Secretary, NHS&C, Aamir Ashraf Khawaja, gave a detailed presentation to the Cabinet on the strategy for procurement of Coronavirus vaccine along with the expected timelines. The Cabinet was informed that the vaccine would be administered to people in stages, with frontline healthcare workers and citizens over 65 years of age being the first recipients. In the second stage, the vaccine would be administered to the population over 60 years besides other health professionals, followed by the third stage covering a defined proportion of the remainder of the population. The Cabinet was further informed that the vaccine would be procured considering multiple factors, including its efficacy, safety and side effects, storage requirements, cost, manufacturer's production capacity and Pakistan's access to the vaccine. "Cabinet was also informed that commercial importers of pharmaceutical products will also be able to import vaccine and make it available on commercial basis," the sources added. The Secretary, NHS&C Division, submitted that due to rapidly changing scenario and an evolving database, the Division had to take quick decisions regarding placing orders to international vaccine producers with an underlying risk of making any advance payment in case of failure of phase III trials. Following the standard procurement procedure and seeking approval from the Cabinet would lead to delay in decision making, apart from compromising the terms of Confidential Disclosure Agreement (CDA). It was, therefore, proposed that a Special Cabinet Committee may be constituted under Rule 17(c) of the Rules of Business, 1973 to supervise the procurement of the coronavirus vaccine. It was also proposed that the Cabinet, in exercise of the provisions of Rule 17(c)(proviso), may authorize the Committee to take decisions on behalf of the Cabinet.
In the case titled "Request for Technical Supplementary Grant of $ 150.00 million for purchase of Covid-19 Vaccine" submitted to the ECC by National Health Services & Coordination Division, the Cabinet took note of the changing nature of information availability, inherent risk of losing advance payment in case of failure of phase III trials and the judgment call needed to pick the best option among available products as per information available today. The Cabinet approved a Technical Supplementary Grant of $ 150.00 million for purchase of Covid-19 Vaccine. The Cabinet approved the vaccine recipient priority as follows: stage 1- frontline essential health care workers (0.5 million)/population over 65 years of age (9.5 million); stage 2. All health care workers & population over 60 years of age. Stage 3- A defined proportion of remainder population The Cabinet constituted a Special Committee of the Cabinet for procurement of coronavirus vaccine in terms of Rule 17(2) of the Rules of Business, 1973 with the following composition and ToRs:- (i) Asad Umer (Chairman) Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives ;(ii) Hammad Azhar, Minister for Industries & Production; (iii) Fawad Ahmed, Minister for Science & Technology;(iv) Dr. Faisal Sultan SAPM on National Health Services, Regulation & Coordination and; (v) Dr. Sania Nishter SAPM on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation The Committee will supervise the procurement of the corona virus vaccine and take all decisions related to administration and management of the Vaccine. The Cabinet, in terms of the proviso to Rule 17(1)(c) of the Rules of Business, 1973 authorized the Committee to take decisions on behalf of the Cabinet and waived the condition of ratification of decisions by the Cabinet in terms of the Rules ibid.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020