Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Mar 25, 2017 News
The main Parliamentary Opposition, the People’s Progressive Party /Civic (PPP/C), is calling on the Auditor General to investigate the questionable award of a $1.5B contract for emergency pharmaceuticals for the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GHPC).
The award of this contract has become a somewhat contentious one after documents were leaked to the local media, bringing into question the process used to grant the contract to only a selected number of contractors.
The recently-appointed Minister of Health, Volda Lawrence, and officials of the GPHC are facing heat over sole-sourcing allegations.
However, the Minister has since informed that only specific suppliers were invited to bid because other specific contractors are being investigated for failing to honour their obligations.
The former Social Protection Minister has made it clear on several occasions that the process to award the contract was expedited in order to facilitate the timely delivery of urgently needed drugs.
Lawrence insisted that she did not breach the procurement laws, while noting that the Board of the GPHC will be examining the route taken, among other matters.
Minister of State Joseph Harmon told media operatives on Thursday last at the post-Cabinet media briefing that no investigation is necessary into Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence’s role in the purchase of emergency drugs for the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
“As far as I am aware, there is nothing to inquire about Minister Lawrence’s personal involvement. Minister Lawrence is the Minister of Public Health and therefore has overall responsibility for everything that happens in that sector,”Harmon said.
impartiality
Meanwhile, the General Secretary of the PPP/C, Bharrat Jagdeo, is questioning whether the GPHC board can conduct the investigation into the questionable award of a $1.5B pharmaceutical contract impartially.
“The GPHC cannot do an impartial investigation for the same reason he mentions. It falls under the Minister. How could the GPHC and the Board of that hospital which is appointed by the Minister do an impartial Investigation of the Minister?
“That’s a fake. That is an attempt to sidetrack the issue. So when Volda Lawrence said that, it was to create the impression that they’re trying to get to the truth of the matter and she had no involvement in this matter because they will come up with a fake investigation and fake report.
“We’re going to see the board come up with some wishy-washy investigations. “Jagdeo said.
The former Head of State is of the opinion that the only “impartial” investigation the nation should see is one that should be done by the Auditor General or by the Public Procurement Commission (PPC).
The Opposition is also contemplating addressing the issue at the Parliamentary level, Jagdeo reported.
“We shall put a question into the Parliament to ask from January 1, 2016 who the contractors were who got contracts from the GPHC: What form of tendering they went through; what was the price of the contract; whether they delivered etc.
“We intend to ask this question in the Parliament but I suspect, like with many things else, we’re not going to get answers.”
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Apr 19, 2024
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