Vaccines given to GB at risk

GILGIT: The quality of vaccines provided by the Unicef to the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Health Department has been at risk since the dedicated power line for the Provincial EPI (Expanded Program on Immunization) store was disconnected two years ago.

The situation has been worsened by load-shedding and non-utilization of essential equipment donated by the WHO and the Unicef. This alarming issue was highlighted by WHO representative in GB Abdullah Durrani during a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Abrar Mirza, in Gilgit. The meeting was attended by Health Secretary Asif Ullah Khan, DG Health and others. Durrani explained that the Provincial EPI store, which houses all vaccines for GB, requires an uninterrupted power supply to maintain a temperature between 2 to 8 degrees Celsius.

However, since the power line was disconnected two years ago, the ability to store vaccines safely could be compromised. To address the issue, he noted, the Unicef had provided a 75 kVA generator, while the WHO and the Unicef had also donated refrigerated vehicles for vaccine transportation.

However, due to a lack of government funds for fuel, these vehicles have been left unused and have been deteriorating for the past three years. “With no operational refrigerated vehicles, vaccines are currently being transported via taxis and motorbikes, further endangering their quality,” he added. The revelations came after Abrar Mirza expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of Health Department teams in Diamer and Astore districts.

“This is unacceptable. You need to improve your performance because this concerns human lives,” he remarked. Following the briefing, Mirza directed Asif Ullah Khan to extend support to the districts concerned to ensure effective vaccine storage and distribution.