PAC plans hospitals, clinics visits

By REBECCA KUKU
PUBLIC Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Sir John Pundari says PAC members will be visiting hospitals, clinics and aid post nationwide.
He said this when adjourning the inquiry into the National Department of Health (NDoH)’s procurement and supply of medicine and pharmaceutical drugs to early next year.
The inquiry was called soon after NDoH announced on July 18 that Borneo Pacific Pharmaceutical Ltd (BPPL) was awarded two contracts worth more than K100 million to supply antibiotics and medical kits to health centres and aid posts nationwide for a year.
The awarding of the contracts was announced by Health secretary Pascoe Kase which sparked public outrage and criticisms by medical officers.
On Aug 22, the PAC announced that it would hold an inquiry into the awarding of the two government contracts.
Sir John had said: “The inquiry is basically in response to the public outcry when the contracts were awarded.”
Day 1 of the Parliamentary inquiry on Oct 29 saw Sir John outlining the seven-part probe that included the history of the procurement and supply of medicines in Papua New Guinea and the pull and push systems (its procurement process, mechanisms and its efficiency).
The National Procurement Commission (NPC) and the tender and procurement process that was used by the NDoH to award contracts to BPPL was also a focus of the inquiry. Selected site visits were also made to help conclude the inquiry and those with relevant information and knowledge were also summoned before PAC to testify and provide evidence and information.
Kase and his team were summoned to appear before the PAC on Oct 30 to answer and provide information on the history of the procurement and supply of medicines in PNG.
Questions were raised on why the Australian government withdrew its A$38 million (K87 million) programme that supplied medicine to the 1,600 PNG health centres and aid posts in 2013.
Under intense query, Kase said: “The Government had the responsibility to buy medicine for its citizens.”
Day 3 of the inquiry saw Sir John stressing that due to the significance of the issue, the PAC had decided to be fair on all parties and to give them time to prepare their responses.
“The Health secretary and his team will be summoned again on Nov 19 to appear before the PAC, including all other parties of interest,” he said.
“Let me assure you that the PAC will leave no stones unturned, we will stay the course and will make recommendations so that this country, and its people, will get value for money.
“So that any individual, who is a Papua New Guinean, can access quality medicines wherever he may be, at any given time.”
On Nov 19 (day 4) of the inquiry, the National Doctor Association, non-government organisations and logistics companies were summoned to give information and evidence.

• On Nov 20 (day 5), the NDoH, BPPL, NPC and logistics companies were queried;
• on Nov 21 (day 6), the logistics companies, NDoH and EMTV officials were called to provide information and evidence. The logistics company managing-director testified that he paid bribes to a NDoH officer;
• on Nov 25 (day 7), NDoH, Prime Minister and NEC staff and a logistics company testified; and,
• On Dec 2 (day 8), a logistics company presented a witness who told the PAC of the practice of bribery within the NDoH.