Irregularities cancel $33 million ambulance tender

ANOTHER quick-fix government plan has been derailed with the cancelation of a $33 million tender for ambulances after irregularities in the tender process were identified by private companies and government control institutions. 

Panama’s Health Ministry (MoH) has canceled the tender for 163 ambulances, worth close to $33 million.

On May 7 PanamáCompra published details of the tender for the purchase of 163 ambulances under a turnkey project, a tender which upset to local companies who complained that the process was a "custom fit."

Among other questions raised was the need to standardize the purchase of vehicles for the ambulance service, imposing international standards born out of a purchase specification generated by the U.S. Federal General Services Administration.

The technical specifications of the five models of ambulances were not included in the tender conditions because the Minister of Health deemed it "not necessary". The technical specifications for the medical equipment were also missing contrary to what happened in other tenders.

The MoH will be announcing a new tender for Integral Ambulance Services for the whole country," says La Prensa