The union health ministry's ambitious project of establishing an Integrated Vaccine Complex in Chennai has come in for severe criticism by the department-related parliamentary committee on health and family welfare. The panel headed by Amar Singh has asked the ministry to review the project.

Taking the capacity of the available facilities under the three public sector vaccine manufacturing units - the Central Research Institute (CRI), Kasauli, the Pasteur Institute of India (PII), Coonoor and the BCG Vaccine Laboratory (BCGVL), Chennai - and the scope for expansion of these facilities under consideration, the panel opined that managing these facilities efficiently would be enough to fulfill the current needs of the country.

With the recent issues of closure of the three units, the country is expected to rely on private suppliers for running the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) at least for the next three years. The proposed IVC, of which the infrastructure development is lagging behind schedule already, would not address the shortage and rise in vaccine prices immediately, since it is anticipated to be completed by December, 2012, if sticking strictly to the announced time line. The ministry should expedite the revival of the existing vaccine units to meet the demand and then could consider establishing a new facility.

"Besides that, the Committee would like to emphasize once again, that there is a need for review of the ambitious project of Integrated Vaccine Complex. If all the required support of every kind,- be it infrastructure, manpower, technical expertise, modern equipment and machinery is placed at the disposal of all the three units, the requirement of the proposed complex may perhaps not arise," the panel said.

The PII, Coonoor had been issued the ISO 9001:2000 Certificate in February, 2003 which was valid till 2006. Similarly, BCG Vaccine Laboratory, Guindy had obtained a certificate under ISO 9001:2000 in October, 2001 which was extended upto January, 2007 and the ISO certification implies recognition of a high standard of management systems in the establishment.

A recent report by the Javed Chaudhary committee, appointed by the health ministry to look into the current status of the three vaccine units and the prospects of optimising its facilities, concluded that the manufacturing capacity of the three units, their viability for continuing to fulfill the vaccine requirement of the country has already been confirmed, was also raised as a point for its decision by the panel.

Further, it has also raised its apprehension regarding ability of the HLL Lifecare Ltd, a Mini Ratna Public Sector Enterprise in implementing Healthcare projects and assigned to design the IVC project, to give a final shape to the project, considering its limited expertise with vaccine manufacturing.

The panel also suggested that the proposed move of shifting the BCGVL along with its manpower to the IVC at Chengalpattu has to be reviewed objectively and the correct decision taken, since there are options to expand the existing unit as per GMP standards in the current premises itself.