Following controversy over the fast-tracking of a $605m emergency drug purchase and three others for the GPHC, PPP/C MPs Gail Teixeira and Juan Edghill have submitted a series of questions to Parliament for Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence to answer.
The questions were circulated to the media yesterday. Lawrence’s admission that she fast-tracked the transactions has attracted severe criticisms and the transactions have been deemed as illegal.
In her several explanations, Lawrence has also claimed that there was poor performance by drug suppliers and corruption in the system. The questions tendered to Parliament are seeking specific answers on the problems cited by Lawrence.
Member Asking: Bishop Juan Edghill, M.P.,
Member Answering: Minister of Public Health
For Written Reply:
Question to the Hon. Minister Volda Lawrence on the procurement of drugs and medical supplies for the Ministry of Public Health
Could the Hon. Minister inform this National Assembly on what was the total sum expended for drugs and medical supplies for the Ministry of Public Health between January 1st 2016 and February 28th, 2017? And,
(i) What percentage of the 2016 Budgetary allocations for drugs and medical supplies was expended by December 31st, 2016 ? If any monies were unspent and returned to the Consolidated Fund and how much was returned? And what were the reasons for the underperformance in the procurement of drugs and medical supplies for the public health system? And,
(ii) Could the Hon. Minister provide the following information to the National Assembly:-
-The name of each supplier;
-The value of each contract and date of award;
– The name of the supplier/s which failed to deliver within the stipulated contractual period and by what amount;
– The name of the supplier which delivered inferior/substandard drugs and medical supplies
(iii) Could the Hon. Minister state in each case of procurement:
-Whether these tenders were publically advertised? If so, when and where ? And,
-If any of these awardees were pre-qualified?
(iv) And, in each case of the above, which body of the Ministry of Public Health was responsible for evaluating and recommending the award of these contracts?
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BISHOP JUAN EDGHILL, M.P.,
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GAIL TEIXEIRA, M.P.,
March 27, 2017
Member Asking:- Bishop Juan Edghill, M.P.,
Member Answering; Minister of Public Health
For Written Reply:
Question to the Hon. Minister Volda Lawrence, Minister of Public Health on the Procurement of Drugs and Medical Supplies for the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)
Could the Hon. Minister inform this National Assembly on what was the total amount expended for the purchase of drugs and medical supplies for the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GHPC) between the period January 1st 2016 and February 28th, 2017? And could the Hon. Minister provide the following information to the National Assembly:-
-The name of each supplier;
-The value of each contract and date of award;
– The name of the supplier/s which failed to deliver within the stipulated contractual period and by what amount;
– The name of the supplier which delivered inferior/substandard drugs and medical supplies
(i) Could the Hon. Minister state in each case of procurement:
-whether these tenders were publically advertised? And if so, when and where? And,
-Whether any of these awardees were pre-qualified?
(ii) And, in each case of the above, which body of the GPHC was responsible for evaluatingand recommending the award of these contracts?
………………………….
Bishop Edghill, M.P.,
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Gail Teixeira, M.P.,
March 27, 2017
Member Asking: Bishop Juan Edghill, M.P.,
Members Answering: The Minister of Public Health
For Written reply
Question to the Hon. Minister Volda Lawrence, Minister of Public Health on Safeguarding the Nation’s Health and Protecting the Public’s Purse
Would the Hon. Minister, provide the following information to this National Assembly:-
(i) The number and names of any contracted suppliers which delivered drugs and medical supplies that were expired, were close to expiry date, and/or, of an inferior quality, between January 1st, 2016 and February 28th ,2017;
(ii) Could the Hon. Minister provide the specific drug, and, or medical supply, and the dollar value in each case which was procured and found to be expired, and or, of inferior quality?
(iii) Could the Hon. Minister state if she has information that any employee(s) of the Ministry of Public Health, and, in particular the Materials Management Unit, and /or the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, has/have been complicit with contractors/suppliers of pharmaceutical and medical supplies in defrauding the state? And, if so,
– state what actions have been taken to investigate these allegations;
– state whether the Office of the Auditor General and or the Guyana Police Force have been called in to investigate these allegations?
(iv) Could the Minister state whether her unusual decision to relocate her ministerial office to the Diamond Drug Bond, E.B.D, as publicly announced in January 2017, has provided the opportunity for the Minister to take a more hands on approach to the procurement of drugs and medical supplies for the public health system?
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Bishop Edghill, M.P.,
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Gail Teixeira, M.P.,
