BY PHYLLIS MBANJE CHAIRPERSON of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health, Ruth Labode has raised concern over government plans to rope in private players in the importation of COVID-19 vaccines, saying the move might fuel profiteering and corruption.
Government is currently hard pressed to provide vaccines to 60% of the population in order to attain herd immunity. The government has also already indicated that the private sector would be allowed to import COVID-19 vaccines in order to cover the gap left by government.
Labode told delegates at the Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) Health Summit this week that it would be a tragedy if the private sector was allowed to import vaccines.
“I hear that the Health ministry is thinking of getting the private sector on board to import vaccines. They are clamouring to be given an opportunity. I am worried because everybody will be in it for money,” Labode said. “That is where the corruption will come in when decisions are being made on who is to be considered,” she said.
Labode said if the private sector was really willing to assist, they should import the vaccines on behalf of government and big companies. “It is a special system. The vaccines are kept under certain temperatures. Vaccines are not a joke,” she said.
Labode further alleged that some of the vaccines imported by the private sector got held up somehow and ended up getting spoilt. She said chances were high that the private sector players did not disclose such problems, and as a result they use them on innocent people.
“The US$100 million set aside for the purchase of more vaccines cannot be abused because there are only a few manufactures for COVID-19 vaccines, and there is no middle man.”
Labode also defended the COVID-19 jabs that were recently administered to legislators saying that they were frontline workers. “Remember 46 parliamentarians got infected with COVID-19 after visiting quarantine centres to assess the situation.” She also said many MPs were old with several comorbidities.
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Comorbidity, in medicine, is a disease or condition that coexists with, but is often independent of another disease or condition. It makes one more vulnerable and more at risk of being infected.
“The bulk of parliamentarians are old with comorbidities like diabetes and hypertension. So by virtue of age and their conditions, over 80% fall into that category,” she said.
Follow Phyllis on Twitter @pmbanje
