Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence yesterday admitted to “fast-tracking” the purchase of $605 million from ANSA McAL for the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and maintained that the public procurement process was not breached although the national tender board was not aware of the decision until its approval was sought after the transaction.
In a statement issued by the ministry yesterday, Lawrence for the first time publicly acknowledged that there is a crisis-level drug shortage, which she blamed on a conspiracy between contractors and ministry staff.