A LACK of skilled and experienced staff to do high-level procurement has resulted in delay in the bidding process, the Ministry of Public Health has said.In the past, there has been many discrepancies recorded when it came to the procurement of drugs and medical supplies.

Dr. George Norton at a recent press briefing in the capacity of Minister of Public Health had said that a more skilled unit is needed to deal with procurement.

“All deliveries of pharmaceuticals and health products procured through the Procurement Unit of the Ministry are made to the Supply Chain Management Complex (SCMS), the MoPH central medical stores located at Diamond, EBD,” Dr Norton said.

This new Open Competitive Bidding process was used for the first time in January 2016 after many years of selected tendering with one supplier. However, the major challenge faced with this new process was the evaluation process using the “line by line” approach, which was time consuming with over 20 bidders participating in the process, some for the very first time, the Minister said.

In 2016, a total of 812 items were procured, as opposed to 1183 in 2015. This represented a 31.4 per cent decrease. And, the Ministry expended $1,004,270,447 on the procurement of drugs and medical supplies in the said year.

Thus, in order to cut costs and improve services offered, the Public Health Ministry will commence construction of a state-of-the-art drug bond in Kingston which will accommodate cold storage. This will reduce the expenditure on rental of a facility for such. The Sussex Street bond, Dr Norton said, will still be in use and they will continue to store medication there.

“It is our hope that the recurring issue of the unavailability of drugs and medical supplies will become a thing of the past come 2017, as we aim to make the procurement process data driven. This will ensure the reliable supply of these vital commodities and the avoidance of wastage,” Dr Norton had said.