The government is yet to finalise the new drug procurement guidelines and acting Permeant Secretary of the Public Health Ministry Trevor Thomas says the process may take up to the end of the year.
Thomas told Stabroek News that he hoped the process would be finalised well before the end of the year.
He noted that the Public Health Ministry’s largest contract, with the New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (New GPC), will end in October.
“We are reviewing the current system; it is now one that allows for pre-qualification. We are moving from pre-qualification to open tendering. We are still finalising the document,” he said.
The former PPP/C administration had been criticised for pre-qualification guidelines that many stated were skewed heavily in favour of New GPC.
Thomas noted that the new system would need to be compliant with the guidelines laid out by the World Health Organisa-tion (WHO) due to the sensitivity of the procurement of pharmaceuticals for public health.
“Because we are dealing with the procurement of pharmaceuticals it will need to meet all of the WHO standards. Then we will have it sent to the National Procurement and Tender Board for review,” he stated.
When pressed for more information about when the ministry hoped to iron out a plan, Thomas said the ministry was complying with contractual obligations to the New GPC, which end in October. He noted that because of the contract, there was no immediate danger that would result in inadequate drug supplies to the public health system.
New GPC currently supplies roughly 80% of drugs to the health ministry.
Stabroek News asked Thomas why the process has seemingly dragged along, given the government’s strong stance on the need to reform the drug procurement guidelines, and he said he was new to the positon and would be unable to answer definitively on specifics without further research.
Stabroek News had additionally asked Thomas what the current situation was with the halted $572 million payment to New GPC in connection with a contract that was awarded to the company weeks before the May 11th general elections. The coalition APNU+AFC citied the need for a full review once it assumed office.
He had stated that the ministry was complying with the contractual obligations however in August Minister Dr George Norton had told this publication that the entire contract for $2 billion, to be used for the procurement of drugs and medical supplies, has been sent to the Attorney General’s Chambers for review and Cabinet is to pronounce on how to proceed.
On April 21st, the PPP/C Cabinet gave its no-objection to the award of a contract for US$6.7 million (approximately $1.4 billion).
Thomas said he would need additional time to ensure that he did not give conflicting information and did not wish to state how much money was paid to New GPC under the contract to date and if the $572M was inclusive.
While in opposition, both APNU and the AFC had vowed that they would revisit drug procurement and ensure that there was no monopoly. They had complained that billions of dollars have been channelled to New GPC over the years through sole-sourced contracts and later through the limiting of who could bid for contracts. New GPC was the only company to have pre-qualified under the procedures introduced by the PPP/C government and this had been met by howls of protests from other bidders, including Trinidad conglomerate ANSA McAl. New GPC had formed a close relationship with the former Bharrat Jagdeo administration and this continued under the Donald Ramotar administration.
