Vaccine Scam: Rama Deserts Ramadoss, Boss Has no Answer.

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http://www.dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?main_variable=front%5Fpage & file_name=st\ory3%2Etxt & counter_img=3Ramadoss has no answerJ Gopikrishnan | New Delhi

 

[The Left has rightly argued that the proposed vaccine park

will open the doors for the vaccine MNCs. Then we will have

vaccine advertisements and vaccines will be available

in Supermarkets and kirana stores besides being offered

as free gifts with various items, as is happening in the USA

- Jagannath]Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss is keeping astony silence and evading the media after a series ofreports on vaccine scam, which exposed the calculatedmove behind the closure of vaccine production at threeCentral Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and hislinks with persons like Sundaraparipoornan, whosiphoned off crores of rupees from the publicexchequer.After trying to speak to Ramadoss over phone manytimes, The Pioneer sent a fax on May 13 and asked forhis side of the story on the scam.. No reply has beenreceived till date. The main question was regardingRamadoss' association with Sundaraparipoornan and therole of a PSU (BCG Vaccine Lab) in getting Rs 14-croreloan to Green Signal Bio Pharma, a new entrant invaccine manufacturing. Sundaraparipoornan, thechairman of

this company, it obtained Rs 14 crore inloan from the Union Bank on December 27, 2007, byhypothecating the supply deal of the PSU.The PSU director, Dr Elangeshwaran, had told ThePioneer that he was arm-twisted by the Health Ministrytop brass to help out Green Signal Bio Pharma. He alsosaid that the Ministry put "immense pressure" on himto close down the vaccine production at the PSUs. Thiswas also sought to be clarified by Ramadoss. ThePioneer also asked Ramadoss: "What prevented you fromupgrading the technology of the vaccine-making PSUs,rather than topping the production, which helpedprivate players in the vaccine-making industry?"Ramadoss is indulging in a hide-and-seek game over thevaccine scam. Several MPs -- including Brinda Karat,Basudev Acharyia, P Mohan of the CPI(M), K Subbarrayanof the CPI and C Kuppusami of the DMK had writtenletters to him and demanded restoration

of vaccineproduction. Ramadoss didn't care to reply to any ofthem.CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat on Fridaystrongly criticised the Health Ministry for closingdown the vaccine production at the PSUs and demandedthat the vaccine production be re-started. "Theclosure is a blow to self-reliance and paves the wayfor big private pharma companies. The Health Ministrymust restore their licences with immediate effect andupgrade facilities," said Karat at a Press conference."The CPI(M) strongly opposes the suspension oflicences of the three main vaccine-producing units inthe public sector, viz, BCG unit in Chennai, PastuerInstitute of Coonoor and Central Research Institute,Kasauli. Among themselves, these PSUs produce andsupply the bulk of the vaccines for the importantuniversal immunisation programme," he added.Meanwhile, after getting the details on purchase ofmeasles

seeds for Rs 3.25 crore by Pasteur Institutefrom Sundaraparipoornan and the role of the HealthMinistry in ensuring him 70 per cent of the profitfrom measles vaccine production, The Pioneer also senta fax on May 27 to Health secretary Naresh Dayal (whois also ex-officio chairperson of Pasteur Institute),Dr Elangeshwaran, director of the institute andSundaraparipoornan to seek clarifications on thedubious deal.Major questions related to the authenticity of themeasles seed supplied and the role ofSundaraparipoornan in this deal, who is a neither anaccredited supplier nor a manufacturer of measlesvaccine. The clarifications were sought on the sourceof origin of the seed, as most of the scientists doubtthe authenticity of the material supplied.Another main point was the highly inflated value ofthe seed (Rs 3.25 crore) when the Government couldhave had it virtually for free from

IndianImmunologicals Ltd, Hyderabad, another PSU producingmeasles vaccine.The Pioneer, quoting objections raised by theintegrated finance division of the Health Ministry,asked them about the authority of Elangeshwaran inexecuting the Rs 3.25-crore deal with Green Signal BioPharma. As per the rules, Elangeshwaran was authorisedto sanction deals worth only up to Rs 50 lakh.The Pioneer also sought clarifications about avoidingthe tender and bids on such an important deal and thecriteria for making a decision to selectSundaraparipoornan's Green Signal Bio Pharma for thecontract. Clarifications were also sought on theone-sided agreement, which ensures that 70 per cent ofthe profit goes to Sundaraparipoornan while the entirecost is borne by the public exchequer.Only Sundaraparipornan replied to The Pioneer throughhis advocate and refused to answer any of thequestions

raised. While refusing to giveclarifications on the dubious deal, the letter sent onbehalf of Sundaraparipoornan threatened this newspaperwith initiating legal action, including criminalcharges, if reports continued to be published. "Youare trying to blackmail our client. Our client is notunder obligation to answer any queries for your cheappublicity in the name of sensationalism," said theadvocate. "This is to call upon you to restrain frompublishing any matter about my client, failing whichmy client will be constrained to initiate legal noticeproceedings against you," it added.Earlier, Sundarapripoornan had sent a series of legalnotices to the Editor and reporters of The Pioneer andthreatened to initiate legal action, includingcriminal. Denying the facts published by The Pioneer,he also said that he was "never a close associate ofRamadoss".For any comments, queries or

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