Karachi: Healthcare worker arrested for illegally selling Sinopharm, Sinovac, and Pfizer vaccines

• Police say suspect was working with health dept on a contractual basis.
• Suspect was allegedly involved in illegally selling Sinopharm, Sinovac, and Pfizer vaccines.
• The suspect would provide at-home vaccination services to people, charging them Rs7,500 to Rs15,000, say police.

KARACHI: Police officials on Thursday revealed details about the alleged illegal sale of coronavirus vaccines by health department staff in the metropolis.

According to the police, the suspect — identified as Zeeshan — was working as a nurse on a contractual basis at the district health office. He was allegedly involved in illegally selling Sinopharm, Sinovac, and Pfizer vaccines to people. At present, only Russia's Sputnik V vaccine is available in the country for commercial sale.

The accused would provide at-home vaccination services to people. Each vaccine was sold for Rs 7,500 to Rs 15,000, police officials reported.

People receiving the vaccines would be added to the list of people going abroad.

During interrogation, the suspect revealed that the District Health Office West and NGO officials were supplying the vaccine doses to him. He also said that the health department officials put him on the task of selling the vaccines.

Money earned from the sale of vaccines was delivered to health department staff, the suspect alleged.

The police have requested permission from higher authorities to arrest health department officials involved in the incident.