Pakistan’s Health Ministry cancels vaccine tender for pilgrims — Dawn
In Pakistan, the Ministry of National Health Services has cancelled a tender for the procurement of vaccines against meningococcal meningitis and influenza for pilgrims and people travelling abroad for work. The ministry’s central procurement committee is to announce a new tender within a month.
The existing vaccination system through the Border Health Services (BHS) structure was dismantled following an investigation conducted by a commission at the instruction of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. As Dawn reports, the review uncovered significant shortcomings and financial violations in the previously concluded public-private partnership contract.
Vaccination temporarily halted
Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said that the current vaccination process for pilgrims and overseas job seekers had been halted. According to him, BHS officials involved in announcing an unauthorized tender were arrested for bypassing the ministry’s oversight.
Until the central procurement committee announces a new competition, the ministry advised pilgrims to receive mandatory vaccinations through travel agents. At the same time, seven companies have appealed to the Islamabad High Court, challenging alleged violations during the tender process.
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Parallel committees
A five-member commission led by the secretary of the Cabinet Division examined the legal basis, justification and approvals for the contract. It included heads or representatives of the Intelligence Bureau, the drug regulator, the public procurement authority and the attorney general’s office.
Documents collected by the commission and reviewed by Dawn indicate that BHS officials created parallel procurement committees. On May 9, the ministry formed an official six-member committee; however, on June 10, BHS separately created its own procurement committee and complaint review committee and independently announced the tender.
The investigation was launched amid allegations that the new contract could have increased the cost of vaccination to about 4,500 Pakistani rupees per pilgrim. Under the previous arrangement, one dose in 2026 cost 1,250 rupees because the company had purchased cheaper vaccine stocks, an unnamed ministry official said.
