New clinic boondoggle still raising questions

The much touted new public health clinic in Pacora was so desperately needed that the Minister of Health rushed to issue a no-bid contract to save time.

This notwithstanding that the company that got the plum agreement was formed only a couple of months after the new government came into office.
The building of the $3.6 million clinic was one of the first announcements made by President Ricardo Martinelli during his first photo-op Cabinet Council meeting after taking office.The meeting was held in Pacora a long time PRD (People’s Revolutionary Democratic Party) fiefdom
Neither former Comptroller Carlos Vallarino nor current Comptroller Gioconda de Bianchini have signed off on the contract to build the clinic issued eight months ago.
The Minister of Health Franklin Vergara who had previously explained that the no-bid process was because of the need to act quickly, admitted that the contract still has not been endorsed by the Comptroller’s Office.
Vallarino, who was in office when it was brought forward by the ministry, highlighted 33 concerns he had about the contract.
These included the fact that contractors Constructora Real S.A. and Design Build & Engineering Panamá Inc. have no experience with the construction of hospitals despite being awarded the work on a no-bid basis.
In addition, one of the representatives of Design Build & Engineering Panama Inc., Roger Oruña Aguilar, is linked to criminal investigations in the Dominican Republic and Mexico.
In spite of this the Health Minister says that he expects the contract to be approved in the near future.