Children’s hospital project in doldrums after 15 years

STAFF of Panama’s aging and cramped children’s hospital,-Hospital del Nino- returned to the streets again on Thursday, June 20 as the news spread that the anticipated delivery of the contract for a new hospital and a maternity wing for Hospital Santo Tomas has hit yet another roadblock.

The Chinese consortium Came Hospital del Niño, one of the two participants in the tender for the construction of the new   Hospital and the maternity ward has  filed an appeal before the Third Chamber of the Supreme Court.

They claim illegality against the Ministry of Health (Minsa), which hampers the award of the project to the company Acciona Construcción,, recommended last May by the evaluation committee.

The warning of illegality was presented on June 18 by the Chinese consortium after the General Directorate of

Public Procurement issued that same day a resolution, which did not admit a claim against the tender and ordered its filing.

In view of the development Health Minister, Miguel Mayo, said informed that, on the recommendation of his department’s legal the legal department of his office, he will not award the project to the company Acciona Construcción, until the Third Chamber of the Administrative Litigation is pronounced.

Meanwhile, the Board of Children’s Hospital called on the magistrate assigned to the appeal to issue a ruling as soon as possible. The board recalled that this project has been postponed in for  15 years, although it is an urgent need for the neediest pediatric population in the country.

Acciona Construcción,  offered to carry out the project, for  $614.1 million while the Chinese consortium quoted $612.9 million. The reference price established by the Minsa was $558.7 million.

The construction of a new hospital has been ongoing for years. Even in the past government (2009-2014), a tender was opened, but then it was canceled due to claims from losing consortiums.

The current government began the act for the prequalification of companies in April 2018 but stalled due to multiple claims.

When it gets the go ahead the new hospital will be built on the site of the former US embassy on Avenida Balboa.