Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
 |
New Vision (Kampala) - October 28, 2005
Jude Etyang and Anne Mugisa
The health ministry gave wrong specifications for the supply of HIV/AIDS rapid test kits worth $540,000 (sh1.3b) and also said bidders must have the manufacturer's authorisation, the executive director of the public procurement and disposal authority (PPDA) said yesterday.
Edgar Agaba said the wrong specifications ended up eliminating two of the three pre-qualified bidders, hence reducing competition.
The two pulled out of the tender process, saying they should not be forced to get the manufacturer's authorisation for the kits in the determine brand, Agaba said.
"The problem arose in two aspects. The health ministry approved a bid document which required the bidders to have a manufacturer's authorisation. The specification should have been for the bidders to source the products from the manufacturers or stockists.
"This (bid document) means that the competition would go down and only the person with authorisation would win the contract. We felt this would restrict competition," Agaba said.
The PPDA had granted the PMU, through the health ministry, a waiver of methods to use for procurements, which according to the ministry was to ensure continuity and compatibility in the kits they were using. Agaba said the equipment was urgently needed for last year's sero-survey.
The kits included Determine, which tests for the virus; Unigold, which is used for confirmatory test and Instill, which is a tie breaker.
Agaba said the pre-qualified suppliers were; Mission Farmer, Inter-Dispensary Association (IDA) and Crown Agents.
He said the wrong specifications that the ministry sent to the bidders were the test for HIV1, HIV2 and 0, when the correct ones should have been HIV1 and HIV2.
Agaba said PDA let the ministry go ahead with the procurement because the process had greatly advanced, was urgent and that bidders knew what to supply despite the wrong specifications.
051028
NV051025
Copyright © 2005 - The New Vision. All articles are republished on AEGIS by permission. Material may not be redistributed, posted to any other location, published or used for broadcast without written authorization from Managing Director/Editor-in-chief, The New Vision, P.O. Box 9815, Kampala - Uganda, Tel/fax: 256-41-235221, E-mail: wpike@newvision.co.ug.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Roche and Trimeris, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2005. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2005. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .