VIPs getting COVID vaccines: PML-N’s Zubair distances himself from scandal

• PML-N's Muhammad Zubair distances himself from controversy over daughter, son-in-law getting COVID-19 vaccines.
• NCOC chief Asad Umar says reports received of favours being done in Karachi with shots administered to acquaintances.
• Sindh's vaccination drive had kicked off just days ago on February 3.

KARACHI: As feared, 'VIPs' seem to be getting COVID-19 vaccine shots in Sindh despite being ineligible for them and despite a strict vigilance and monitoring mechanism that is supposed to be in place to ensure that the vaccine is given only to frontline healthcare workers as decided by federal authorities.

In the first such incident, the daughter and son-in-law of former Sindh governor Muhammad Zubair have seemingly gotten themselves vaccinated in a flagrant violation of rules, triggering a political blame game between the Centre and the provincial government.

According to details, the couple was administered the vaccine on Feb 6, at the Adult Vaccination Center of the Ojha campus of Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) by a deputy district officer of the District East.

It is not clear under what authority or compulsion the doctor decided to administer the vaccine to individuals who do not qualify as either the elderly or as frontline healthcare workers.

While responding to the controversy, senior PML-N leader Muhammad Zubair said he had not requested anyone to administer the vaccine to his family and that they (his daughter and son-in-law) got themselves vaccinated through their friends’ connection.

“I have nothing to do with this nor did I ask anyone for the favour,” Zubair said.

Read more: Pakistan to keep COVID-19 vaccine at secret storages for security

NCOC takes notice

Chief of the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) Asad Umar on Sunday said that the Sindh government has been told to ensure that the coronavirus vaccines are only administered to healthcare workers.

"We have received complaints that the coronavirus vaccine is being given to close contacts in Karachi besides healthcare workers," said Umar.

He said that the NCOC team, under the supervision of Prime Minister Imran Khan's adviser on health Dr Faisal Sultan, held a meeting with the Sindh government's representatives, where they were "firmly told to ensure that the vaccine is only given to healthcare workers".

Meanwhile, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill questioned whether the "mafia that had done the most politicking over coronavirus is still more worried about the elite rather than front line health workers".

Read more: Pakistan's coronavirus death toll crosses 12,000-mark

"Are vaccinations given by the federation being administered to the families of politicians before front line health workers?" he asked, as he shared photos of people receiving the vaccine.

"Then (Chief Minister Sindh) Murad Ali Shah says he is not answerable to anyone. Shameful," Gill added.

Sindh removes health officer

The premier's aide also attached a notification issued by the Sindh Health Department, according to which the Deputy District Officer of the District Health Office of District East has been suspended.

"The services of Dr Aneela Qureshi [...] are hereby placed under suspension and she is directed to report at Health Department, Government of Sindh," read the notification.

Furthermore, an inquiry committee has been formed, to be headed by Fayyaz Hussain Abbasi, Provincial Coordinator EOC, which will probe violation of SOPs during the administering of vaccines at Adult Vaccination Centre, Ojha Campus, Dow University, Karachi.

"He shall submit a report within three working days", according to the notification.