In excess of $1.6 billion was expended during a period spanning just over one year for the procurement of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies for the public health sector. This revelation was forthcoming during Monday’s sitting of the National Assembly. It was revealed that between January 1, 2016 and February 28, 2017, the Ministry of Public Health expended the unprecedented sum of $1,635, 070, 822 in this regard.
This spending represents 96.1035 percent of the 2016 budgetary allocation by December 2016, leaving $21,145,486 under the Policy Development and Administration, Disease Control, Family Health Care Services, Regional and Clinical Services, Health Sciences Education, Standards and Technical Services and Disability and Rehabilitation Services summary.
Detailing the Ministry’s spending to the House was Minister of Public Health, Ms. Volda Lawrence, in a written response that was circulated to her colleagues. This was in response to a question posed by the opposition side of the House with regards to the sum spent during the aforementioned period.
The opposition wanted to know the name of each supplier, the value of the contract and date of award, the supplier(s) who may have failed to deliver within the contractual period, and the name of the supplier who may have delivered substandard drugs.
The Minister pointed out that one supplier was blacklisted by the Food and Drugs Department however, she noted that vaccines were received in the first quarter of 2017 which would explain the under performance in the procurement of the drugs and medical supplies for the public health system.
Minister Lawrence explained that International Pharmaceutical Agency, Global Healthcare Supplies Incorporated and Ansa Mc Al Trading Limited failed to deliver within their stipulated contractual period by the amounts of $381,193,319, $2,569,719.10 and $12,488,630 respectively.
The opposition also queried whether the tenders for procurement of drugs and medical supplies were publicly advertised. The procurement of drugs and medical supplies were advertised in the print media, the Minister revealed.
The National Procurement and Tender Administration Board was responsible for awarding these contracts.