FUTURE emergency procurements by the Health Ministry (MOH) must be based on specific agreements with suppliers to ensure they provide equipment that comply with specifications and do not take advantage of the ministry, said Deputy Minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni.

He said when the country was hit by Covid-19, ventilators were urgently needed and were purchased on an emergency basis without specific agreements with the suppliers.

He said prices of the items rose sharply because ventilators were classified as commodities and sold using the cash-and-carry system, adding that due to limited movements in producing countries like China, suppliers submitted purchase proposals for the equipment using catalogues and brochures.

“For procurement purposes … the selection of equipment was made through catalogues due to restrictions in movement that did not allow physical inspection of the equipment,” he said, adding that suppliers took advantage of this situation and provided ventilators that did not meet the specifications.

He said this during the wind-up debate on the Auditor-General’s Report 2021 Series 2. 

Lukanisman said a more organised system must be implemented, such as preparing a specific emergency procurement deal to be used if the country faces a similar emergency. 

Meanwhile, RSN Rayer (Jelutong-PH) said suppliers that took advantage of the situation should be blacklisted and barred from supplying equipment to the MOH, and that they have a moral responsibility to provide quality ventilators even if the MOH does not perform checks. 

On the issue of the MySejahtera app ownership, Lukanisman said it is fully owned by the MOH and the government has full rights over the app through a perpetual licence. – Bernama, June 7, 2023.