Opposition Spokesman on Health Dr. Alfred Dawes
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Opposition Spokesman on Health Dr. Alfred Dawes
Opposition Spokesman on Health Dr. Alfred Dawes is insisting that the procurement process for the controversial surgical drill sold to the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) was hijacked by unknown people.
Dr. Dawes, who spoke with Radio Jamaica News on Friday, argued that SERHA should have rejected the price for the drill.
He also dismissed claims by Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton that the proper procurement process was followed.
According to Dr. Dawes, the surgical drill in question cost between J$3-$5 million.
“Now, we are aware of the exact brand, not another brand that can do the same work but the same brand, the Medtronic EM800 neurosurgical drill. We just found out that that is the brand that was supplied and anyone can do a quick Google search and realise that this machine is about a $3-5 million machine. However, someone at SERHA in the procurement process, and I asked the chairman specifically who it was and how did they come up at that estimate.
“But someone determined that a fair value for that drill was $32 million and that is where the entire process was breached because there is no one with any fiscal sense who can say that $32 million for a drill, where you can find a quick Google search showing that it is $5 million, makes sense,” he contended.
Medical Technologies Limited, the company at the centre of the controversy over the sale of the surgical drill to SERHA for $31.5 million, has denied that the drill is overpriced.