With larger quantities of medical and pharmaceutical supplies being procured for the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and current storage facilities at capacity, the hospital has invited bids for the rental of a warehouse to be used for additional storage.
In an advertisement appearing in the February 21st, 2021 Sunday Stabroek, the hospital invited eligible bidders to submit sealed bids to tender for the provision of the rental of a warehouse for storage of pharmaceutical and medical supplies. Bids have since been opened.
GPHC’s Head of Strategic Planning and Communications Chelauna Providence said “the spaces are being procured for medication and supplies that the hospital is currently in the process of getting and will be in getting the near future.”
Last month, Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony said it was necessary for the ministry to procure additional bond space since the existing capacity at current facilities has been exceeded.
He told this newspaper that the drug storage bond at Diamond, East Bank Demerara, is being used to capacity while the Kingston, Georgetown, bond is used for the storage of equipment.
“We actually don’t have enough storage [as] all of our bonds are being used to capacity. We have made orders for additional drugs and reagents. Those items will be arriving soon,” the health minister pointed out.
He noted, too, that with the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been increased orders for personal protective equipment (PPE), which is taking up additional space.
“The PPE such as the mask and gowns may seem small but they are very bulky and take up storage space… so we have to cater for all of this now,” Anthony added.
Under the David Granger-led administration, then Minister of Public Health George Norton found himself in hot water over a controversial bond deal with Linden Holdings Limited (LHI).
A report found that tender board procedures were not followed as there was no public tendering, and in fact, no procurement procedures were applied in the awarding of the three-year contract to LHI.
In referencing this, Anthony assured that all procurement procedures will be followed. He said that publicly announcing the invitation for bids is the first step in ensuring that the right procedures are followed.
Over the period July, 2016 to August, 2018, the then ministry paid a total of $337.5 million to LHI, inclusive of a $12.5 million security deposit.
At the time of the rental of the Charlestown Bond, it was also felt that the ministry had sufficient storage capacity at Diamond and Kingston.
