ISLAMABAD: A five-member ‘special cabinet committee’ has been constituted under the chairmanship of Planning Minister Asad Umar for procurement of the Covid-19 vaccine, it emerged on Monday.
Other members of cabinet committee included Science & Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Industries Minister Hammad Azhar, Special Assistant to PM on Poverty Alleviation Sania Nishtar and SAPM on Health Dr Faisal Sultan.
According to sources, the committee will function as an oversight body for procurement of the Covid-19 vaccine. It’s decision will be final and it won’t require an endorsement from the federal cabinet.
The objective behind the formation of a special committee is to ensure transparency in procurement of the vaccine, sources said.
On Sunday, SAPM Dr Faisal Sultan had said that the coronavirus vaccine was likely to be available in Pakistan in February or March next year. He had informed that the vaccine would be administered to people in phases, and that in the first phase, priority would be given to health professionals.
The federal cabinet has allocated funds for the vaccine, he said, adding that suitable coronavirus vaccine would be finalized within next few weeks.
With countries scrambling to buy coronavirus vaccines that have been found to be effective at preventing the infection, Russia has offered to supply its ‘Sputnik V’ Covid-19 vaccine to Pakistan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had received a letter to this effect along with data on the vaccine’s clinical research as well as trials from the Russian Embassy in Islamabad.
