‘Funds available, but Health Ministry delaying procurement of equipment’

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The Health Ministry bureaucracy had not taken steps to purchase equipment worth Rs. 4 billion, which were vital for COVID-19 eradication, although the government had allocated funds two months back, President of the College of Medical Laboratory Science (CMLS), Ravi Kumudesh alleged yesterday. 

The Ministry officials had taken steps to make COVID-19 eradication measures taken by government agencies as ineffective as possible, Kumudesh charged.

“Since 2020, several senior health officials repeatedly discouraged PCR testing by state owned labs. They ensured that we did not have the ability to do gene sequencing and they had repeatedly not purchased equipment on time although the Treasury had allocated funds.”

 In June 2021, the government had allocated Rs. 4 billion for the purchase of 20 types of equipment, including those needed to conduct PCR tests, increase oxygen delivering capacity, etc. However, the Health Ministry had not placed the orders yet, the CMLS President said.

 “The government needs to find out whether these officials are trying to help their cronies in the private sector to benefit from these tenders. The government has allocated money for ventilators, oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinders, mobile PCR testing machines, advanced PCR reagents. The Health Ministry however has done nothing to complete the tender although two months have gone by.”

 Kumudesh noted that the government had approved the procurement of those items from companies that could provide them quickly. Thus, the prospective suppliers were asked to place bids within five days since the tender was called.

 “It’s been two months. We hear that some senior ministry officials are waiting for some of their private sector associates to import equipment and register them with the NMRA. They will go ahead with the tender then,” he alleged.

 Kumudesh added that due to the deliberate delay, the health sector was facing shortages of many essential items to deal with the pandemic. “The drop in testing, caused by the lack of equipment, has already given the wrong picture of the COVID-19 situation in Sri Lanka and the delay in purchasing the equipment could possibly lead to a fourth wave.”