Latest update April 24th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 19, 2020 News
Region Six Director of Health Services, Mr. Jevaughn Stephens, has finally come to the forefront to defend the purchasing of drugs and medical supplies for the region at what was termed ‘exorbitant’ prices.
The revelation was made in the recently leaked 2018 Auditor General’s report which showed that the region paid more than 300% in some instances for common medical supplies that can be purchased by local distributors.
The AG in his report stated that the region had not checked with the Materials Management Unit (MMU), the stipulated entity to handle purchases of drugs for distribution to health centres and state-run hospitals, before making purchases.
Stephens, at a recent press conference, blasted the regional chairman, David Armogan for his accusation that the Regional Executive Officer, responsible for all purchases in the region, was bypassing the Regional Tender Board.
Armogan was asked to explain why the region spent an excessive amount of taxpayers’ dollars and he quickly pointed fingers to other regional officials. He had accused those officials of “selecting their own people to buy the drugs.”
The Chairman stressed that “those purchases are supposed to go to tender but (the officials) are not doing that; they are selecting people and buying from them and that can lead to high levels of corruption.”
Stephens, however, at his press conference stated that Armogan was being inaccurate. “For any purchase to be made, it must be approved by the tender board”.
The Director explained that the REO has a limit of $250,000 for daily purchases. He went on to state that the region makes purchases for these supplies when they are in demand.
“These tablets were the first ones flagged in the report. It said that the MMU paid $13 per one against $230 dollars paid by the region…The region makes purchases based on emergency needs and we would have to pay the retail prices for what we need.”
The RHO also pointed that he himself went to purchase these very supplies highlighted in the report from local suppliers to provide evidence of the prices paid by the region.
“I went to purchase all of the items from local drug stores here and the retail prices are what we have to pay…Calls to local pharmacies in Berbice and the capital will show the general public how much these items cost…
Based on the demand, these prices fluctuate and we have to pay that when there is a need.”
According to the report, “a comparison of the prices paid for drugs and medical supplies procured by the Regional Administration from local suppliers with the prices paid by MMU as indicated on the price listing submitted, revealed that for 52 items, the Regional Administration paid significantly higher prices when compared with MMU’s prices.”
In fact, the Region paid in two instances, as much as 1669% and 1465% more than the MMU’s price for those items. The excuse given by the region was simply that it paid more because it did not buy in large quantities.
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