LARKANA:The 24,000 vials of vaccine procured two years ago for prevention of Hepatitis B and C for school children of entire Larkana district will be expiring after two weeks, but it has not yet been utilized causing huge loss to the taxpayers’ hard earned money.
The vaccines have been kept in the freezers of District Health Officer’s office and the store keeper allegedly forgot to inform the relevant authorities about the expiry date. The preventive vaccine has not yet been used to control further spread of deadly disease which has already reached an alarming level due to highly contaminated subsoil water.
The purpose of this vaccine was to administer it to the children studying in various schools of Larkana district aged between 2 to 12 years so that they should not be infected with Hepatitis in their lifetime, but due to non-utilization, it will expire on June 30, 2019 like the annual budget of 2018-19.
Even if concerned health authorities woke up from their deep sleep, it will be impossible for them to administer the costly vaccine to the children because of summer vacations as all the studying kids are enjoying holidays at their homes or with their relatives. In this way, Rs4.3 million have been wasted for negligence of those who have been posted on influence basis ignoring merit and good governance.
District Health Officer (DHO), Dr. Abdul Rahman Baloch, told reporters on Monday that he tried his level best for consuming the vaccine, but due to different tasks, he remained busy and unsuccessful. He said non-utilization of the vaccine was also the negligence of the relevant employees who had been issued explanation calls. He claimed that it had been ensured that the vaccine is administered to school children of Dokri and Bakrani taluka despite vacations.
Sources further revealed that the fundamental responsibility of monitoring the usage of this costly vaccine was also of the Director General (DG), Health Services, Sindh, but he too neglected it and miserably failed to discharge his official for which he was monthly paid. Sources claimed that DG had ordered an inquiry into the issue, but the question here arises who will conduct the inquiry against his own failure being head of all DHOs in Sindh and his sheer negligence. Sindh Chief Minister and Health Minister should take immediate notice of this malpractice in the Health Department and those found involved must be taken to task so that others may learn a lesson.