The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has decided to arrest Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) Deputy Programme Manager Dr Saveeta Vankwani, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Ramesha Kumar’s wife, in the vaccine case.
According to sources, FIA has collected records of vaccines wasted during one year. The vaccines worth Rs 640 million were allegedly wasted due to negligence of top officials.
Previously, an enquiry was launched into the loss of pentavalent vaccines worth $3.9 million, donated by Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) eight months ago. Dr Saveeta remained persistently absent during the enquiry.
In April, the enquiry committee recommended removal of one senior and two junior EPI staffers on account of negligence. It had found EPI Operations Deputy Director Dr Najamullah Baig, Storekeeper Rizwan Bashir and Store Engineer Altaf Hussain guilty.
Bashir and Hussain were suspended immediately after the incident was reported.
The pentavalent vaccine protects children against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, meningitis and pneumonia.
