Health department sacks 18 employees for taking bribe

According to the Health Department, the staffs used to take a bribe from people standing in long queues for getting government-sponsored vaccination at Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Center (PKLI).

The vaccine is being provided without any charges at all the public facilities set up by the government where the personnel were found taking bribe.

The identified health officials were served show-cause notices and were suspended after confirmation of the charges.

The officials include Nawaz Joban, Sajjad Ali, Muhammad Tanvir, Babar Ali, Karamat Ali, Amjad Ali, Taimur Fayyaz, Muhammad Yousuf, Faqir Hussain, and others.

It is to be noted that Pakistan has recently received two more trenches of COVID vaccine from China.

According to official sources, Pakistan has so far received over 11 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines comprising of Sinopharm, Sinovac and CanSino procured from China including others through the COVAX programme.

Earlier, a top health official claimed that Pakistan is set to receive 30 million doses from different countries for which the orders have already been placed.

The government of Pakistan has recently announced the vaccine registration for people above 30 years of age while the vaccination of people above 40 has already been in the process.

According to the ministry of health, more than 964,000 people have been fully vaccinated while 3.4 million doses have been given yet.

It is to be noted that the number of coronaviruses recovered patients have been consequently rising in the country.

Pakistan is currently facing a third wave of the novel the coronavirus that has claimed 19,617 lives to date with 74 lives claimed across Pakistan during the past 24 hours, said National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).