To a question on 17 April 2020 posed by highly respected Hoy newspaper’s medical reporter, Altagracia Ortiz, the Public Health Minister huffed and puffed about his reputation and the legality of the recent purchases by the country’s health authorities under the relaxed procurement regulations during the state of emergency.
“Those who make those claims should study the procurement law and what is a state of national emergency,” blasted Dr. Rafael Sánchez Cárdenas, visibly mad that anyone would insinuate there were irregularities in procurement by the ministry under his charge.
“In a state of national emergency the systems they mention do not operate. I can buy at any time, ipso facto, and I am not violating any law,” said the Minister.
He insisted that the processes being objected to were canceled. He said the email whereby the financial director of the Ministry of Public Health criticizes a major beneficiary of public health contracts under the emergency regime was uploaded as evidence of the canceled procedure.
“Present real evidence of what you claim and do not question my morals as Minister of Public Health,” he blasted. “It is not true that irregularities are being sponsored. It is a bad interpretation of the law. All the procurement processes are on the Procurement Agency portal,” he said. “I am not here to do business,” he said. He challenged those who criticize him to show proof of irregularities.
Orlando Jorge Mera, delegate of the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) to the Central Electoral Board (JCE), and Puerto Plata senator Jose Ignacio Paliza, who is the president of the PRM, were prompt to respond. In a televised interview on “Esta Noche con Mariasela” on Friday, 17 April 2020, they again presented the evidence of the claims of serious irregularities in government procurement. Paliza stated: “This is not a political debate, this is very serious.” He said the party has uncovered dozens of contracts that were granted in minutes or hours, many customized to benefit certain suppliers. He criticized millions in contracting awarded to Tools Resources Enterprises – Toreen SRL, a company that was not a registered medical equipment supplier until the declaration of the state of emergency. He reaffirmed that an established medical equipment supplier, Medek, was not awarded a tender despite having bid half of what Tools Resources had offered. “This is not a matter of prices,” said Paliza, pointing out that the better price had been discarded.
Jorge Mera and Paliza expressed their dismay that despite even the financial director of the Ministry of Public Health highlighted that Tools Resources did not comply with tender specifications, the company was favored with procurement orders. They said that while some orders may have been canceled, others to the same company have been authorized by the Ministry, despite the many irregularities in procurement.
Jorge Mera said: “We are concerned about public health. In times of the virus, no officer should be taking advantage of the situation.”
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20 April 2020