Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: On Monday, the former Governor of Goa Satya Pal Malik shocked Goa with his revelations of corruption in COVID19 purchases.
He just stopped calling it a “Business out of a pandemic”.
However, many do not know that Goemkarponn Editor Suraj Nandrekar had exposed this story in Goa’s newspaper Herald on August 20, 2020, and none of the officials, CM and Opposition took cognizance of that.
For those who do not know, Goemkarponn is reprinting the investigations with the latest updates of what has happened so far and how the politicians continue to loot Goans.
The COVID PURCHASE SCAM…
For the last 18 months, the State government has paid five to six times over the market price for the procurement of medical consumables for the treatment of COVID-19.
Even today, in October 2021, the GMC and DHS continue to purchase at sky-rocketing prices.
The purchase documents available with Goemkarponn and details from private distributors indicate that the price paid by the Directorate of Health Services and Goa Medical College is higher than the prevailing market rate.
The purchases were made without the approval of the Finance Department as the finance came from either the NHM and National AYUSH Mission funds provided by the Central Government for which Mission Director, National Health Mission (NHM) and National AYUSH Mission is empowered to approve, or through the District Mineral Fund/COVID Relief Fund for which necessary procedure has been followed by the Collectors/Revenue Department.
The Directorate of Health Services and Goa Medical College had submitted the details of purchases made as per the needs and also to keep buffer stocks for days to come given the outbreak of COVID-19.
Taking the approval from Cabinet in March-April, 2020, the Health Department said that supplies have still not normalized as most items are not indigenously produced and sourced from other States. Until the situation normalizes to ensure the health and safety of health personnel, the institutes will place orders to suppliers depending on availability, quality and delivery time.
“It is submitted that Government had accorded approval to the Directorate of Health Services to procure the items as mentioned from any supplier having ready stock without tender, and later submit for post-facto approval for the same. So also, approvals for procurement made from NIIM funds were obtained from the Mission Director National Health Mission (NIIM)/Secretary (Health) as per the directives given during the earlier Cabinet meeting,” the Cabinet note said.
However, in the guise of an emergency, small consumables, available at a low price, have been bought in lakhs of pieces for a huge cost.
As per information availed from Indiamart, Amazon, and local distributors, there is a clear cut over-pricing of every product purchased by the DHS and the GMC.
The State made purchases from – Wellness, Chaitanya Enterprises, Molbio Diagnostics, Drogaria Colvalkar, Mahavir Plastics, HLL Lifecare, Sateri Homeo, Mattxux Learning technology, Molbio Diagnostics, Rolex Machinery, Laxmi Health Agency, Tapascharya Enterprises, S D Biosensors, Zacson Agency, GAPL, Scoop Industries, Kamaxidevi Homeopathy etc.
Ayurvedic treatment for COVID?
Another surprising point is that when there is no evidence of a cure from ayurvedic and homoeopathic medicines for COVID-19, the State has purchased medicines worth Rs 1,12,67,2020 of those pathies.
Finance Dept BYPASSED…
The Directorate of Health Services had said that no approvals of the Finance Department were required as the purchases were made utilizing either National Health Mission (NHM) and National AYUSH Mission funds provided by the Central Government for which Mission Director, NHM and National AYUSH Mission is empowered to approve, or through District Mineral Fund/COVID Relief Fund for which necessary procedure has been followed by the Collectors/Revenue Department.
However, investigations further revealed that Financer Department notings had clearly raised objections. “Even though the purchases on the urgent basis are being carried out, there has to be some reasonability,” said a senior Finance Department official, refusing to be named.
He said that the basic principle for procurement of goods and services is that you can purchase on a nomination basis, but the rate has to be reasonable, and that has to be established by the Directorate of Health Services. “We have written every time on the file that the rates are too high,” said the official reacting to the Herald expose.
The official further said that the rates of the pulse oximeters also appear to be exorbitant at Rs 1300 each for 1500 pieces. “This quantity, we were told were available at Rs 500 per piece,” he said.
Directorate of Health Services and GMC had submitted the details of purchases made as per the needs and also to keep buffer stocks for days to come in view of the outbreak of COVID-19.
“As of now, supplies have still not normalized as most items are not indigenously produced and are sourced from other States. Until the situation normalizes, to ensure the health and safety of health personnel, the institutes will place orders to suppliers depending on availability, quality and delivery time,” it said.
Ventilators take the Oxygen out of Goans
Goemkarponn desk
PANJIM: Sample this, the Central Government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has purchased ICU ventilators for Rs 2.5 lakh each and the same party government in the State has purchased ICU ventilators for nearly Rs 8.15 lakh each.
The Modi government has purchased 50,000 ventilators for a budget of Rs 2000 crore, which works out to Rs 2.5 lakh each.
The cash-strapped State government, or rather the Goa Medical College (GMC) and the Directorate of Health Services (DHS), have purchased the 200 ventilators for Rs 8,15,360 each. Moreover, the same ventilators are available online for anything between Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 3.5 lakh.
The procurement of the ventilators, which were ordered in March 2020, has been quite eventful.
The Government vide Order No. 7/12/2020-I1/PHD/773 dated 31/03/2020 had accorded approval for purchase of ICU ventilators (200) from Innovative Medicare Technologies Pvt Ltd, Chandigarh costing Rs 16,30,72,000 to be debitable from the State Budget Head (State fund).
Accordingly, Goa Medical College had placed purchase orders for supply of 200 ventilators model Trilogy 202, make Philips, required for treatment of COVID-19 patients. However, the order was kept on hold since the purchase of ventilators is being done through District Mineral Foundation (DMF) Funds.
Thereafter, the Goa Medical College informed that they have received letter dated 04/06/2020 (Pg 58/C) from Innovative Medicare Technologies Pvt Ltd informing that company will supply 50 of model T 202 and 150 of model EVO-OBM, which is a high-end ventilator when compared to Trilogy 202, which is the ordered model at no extra cost and at same price.
Also the company was to supply their basic respirator support ventilators model Philip E-30-25 (especially designed for COVID-19 patients) as standby and sought the acceptance and to amend the purchase order issued in this regard.
The Head of the Department (HoD) of Anesthesiology accepted the offer of the company for supply of high-end ventilators at no extra cost against the Trilogy 202, which is the ordered model.
“The Government has approved to accord post facto approval towards the purchase of ICU Ventilators – 200 nos from Innovative Medicare Technologies Pvt Ltd, Chandigarh for an amount of Rs 16,30,72,000 inclusive of GST for COVID-19 pandemic at Goa Medical College & Hospital from District Minerals Foundation Fund, for the health emergency of COVID-19 in view of emergency in procurement.
The Cabinet note says that the procurement was done after obtaining administrative approvals and expenditure sanction from the Government/Finance Department without following codal formalities,” the Cabinet note says.
