Weeks after….no word on probes into $605m drug purchase
More than a month after the disclosure of the `fasttracking’ of a $605m emergency drug purchase for the GPHC which did not comply with the procurement law, two separate investigations are still to issue findings. Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence’s acknowledgement that she `fasttracked’ the purchase from Trinidad conglomerate ANSA McAl along with three smaller acquisitions prompted public consternation and calls for an inquiry into the matter. Lawrence, herself, asked for the board of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) to investigate the circumstances behind the purchase. A separate investigation is also being done by the recently constituted Public Procurement Commission (PPC). Lawrence in her defence has said that while she `fast-tracked’ the purchases because of the emergency needs of the GPHC, she didn’t have anything to do with the actual procurement. Yesterday, Stabroek News made efforts to determine how the two investigations were proceeding. Stabroek News had contacted Chairman of the GPHC Board, Kesaundra Alves two weeks ago but she had said she was in a meeting and would have returned a call. She never did but this newspaper once again reached out to her yesterday. She would not confirm or deny if the probe has been launched. “I am not ready to make a statement. Whenever I am ready to make a statement I will,” she said. There are concerns about the GPHC board conducting an investigation sanctioned by Lawrence when her role in the purchases also has to be reviewed. The investigation is expected to provide details on the four contracts and is to outline how ANSA McAL was awarded the bulk of the over $605m purchases without the knowledge of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB). While no one from the GPHC has said if the investigation has begun or if it had, its current status, one official close to the issue has said that payments on the purchases were halted to facilitate the GPHC’s Board probe. As a result, some companies that were contracted to supply the emergency drugs are worried that they could end up only breaking even or losing on the deal since the cost for the United States dollar has gone up. One official, who did not want to be named, said that their company has no idea when the investigation would be completed, and therefore, its money is in limbo and this does not bode well for other financial transactions. While officials of the companies contacted did not want to speak on record, sources at the GPHC explained that the drugs have been delivered although some are being stored at the companies, with delivery upon request. The Ministry of Public Health had taken media outlets for a visit of the Sussex Street Bond, of which the first flat is used as the GPHC storage bond, and pointed out that the facility was stocked. The PPC is also conducting a separate investigation of the drug purchases. A source close to it told Stabroek News last week that “the inquiry continues” but could not say when it would be completed. The PPC had late last month invited members of the public who had information pertaining to procurement matters at the GPHC and Ministry of Public Health to submit written statements to assist in the probe. Yesterday, another source close to the PPC said that the invitation to submit statements yielded a small number of results and that “only a few” persons answered the invitation. However, the source said that because it was Sunday the “direct information” was not at hand and therefore specifics could not be given. Chair of the PPC, Carol Corbin had said that she would be reviewing Lawrence’s fast-tracking of the over-$605 million emergency purchase of drugs in the wake of concerns that procurement procedures were breached. The PPC had announced the investigation, in keeping with its functions as detailed in Article 212(AA). (1) of the Constitution. “In this regard, the Public Procurement Commission is in the process of collecting and reviewing relevant information from various stakeholders within the national procurement system and will conduct interviews and examine documentation as deemed necessary,” it said in a statement. And since the subject of the investigation is of national interest and has resulted in significant public concern, according to the PPC, it will submit its findings to the National Assembly, the PPC had said in a statement. Lawrence has publicly said that she had no problem with the PPC carrying out its own investigation and that she welcomed the move since it was demonstrative of the transparency that her government not only champions but exhibits by its actions. Observers say that the over $605m drug purchases will pose a major headache for the APNU+AFC government which campaigned at the 2015 general elections with procurement rectitude as a major pillar.