The New Guyana Pharma-ceutical Corporation (New GPC) has denied failing to deliver on a $1 billion contract for the supply of drugs to the Ministry of Public Health in 2015.
The company has also stated that it received a $20 million contract for the provision of drugs to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) in 2017.
In a statement issued yesterday, New GPC stressed that it has supplied all drugs for all its contracts with the government for 2015, including all rollover contracts. “The delivery notes and other necessary documents are available as proof of this statement and available for inspection. The Auditor General’s Office, which would have conducted their audit during 2016 can attest to the veracity of this statement,” New GPC said.
The pharmaceutical company referred to statements that it had not fulfilled its obligations, attributed to the ministry’s public relations officer Terrence Esseboom, as erroneous and accused public officials of using such statements as diversion from the “very real problems the health sector is facing.”
New GPC also claimed that Stabroek News had reported that a $400 million contract was awarded to the company as part of the $1.5 billion in emergency drugs sourced by Minister Volda Lawrence for GPHC. According to the company, it obtained an order for $20 million of medical supplies in 2017, which has already been delivered.
Stabroek News never reported that New GPC had been awarded a $400 million contract. As part of the investigation of the controversial award, Stabroek News contacted all four companies identified by Minister Lawrence. These companies are ANSA McAL, New GPC, Health 2000 and Chirosyn Discovery.
While ANSA McAL and Health 2000 immediately responded, the New GPC’s Company Secretary Zulficar Ally requested that the questions be forwarded by email and promised to reply. Up to press time, he had not done so despite numerous calls to his mobile and office numbers.
