Maravi

Govt, Philips have no existing contract - Simbao

Govt, Philips have no existing contract - Simbao
By Namatama Mundia
Mon 19 July 2010, 04:01 CAT

HEALTH minister Kapembwa Simbao yesterday said there is no existing contract between the Zambian government and Philips for the upgrade and maintenance of hospital equipment in 71 districts across the country.

Speaking to journalists in Lusaka after receiving a K90 million donation from Zain Zambia for measles campaign, Simbao said in 2002, the Ministry of Health had a 25 million euro project called Oret where Philips was fully in charge and ended in 2007.

“In 2002 we had a project called the Oret project which Philips were fully in charge, this was to install our theater equipment, x-ray machines and all such things in all our district hospitals, that project ended in 2007,” he claimed.

Simbao said the issue of saying the Zambian government had signed a 25 million euro Memorandum of Understanding with Philips was not true.

“Whoever has started that discussion or topic must be taken to task to explain properly, where did he get that information because it is not true…hope this can be clear, let’s not drag people’s names in the mud,” he said.

Simbao said there was no 25 million Euro order involving Philips or anyone else.

“There is nothing signed with anyone to the value of 25 million euro or dollar, nothing and I want to make that very clear, there is nothing maybe its not with this Ministry of Health maybe it is another Ministry of Health for another Zambia,” he said.

“I don’t understand why this has been so much of a problem, whoever authored that story, he must substantiate it because it is not true.”

Simbao said what was there was an order of equipment worth 2.5 million yen.

“This money didn’t even touch this country, this money is Japanese money and it was administered in Japan to JICA, if you want to get that fact go to JICA they are here in this country, go and talk to them. JICA carried a tender in Japan and only Japanese companies applied…they were the only ones who could get that money in Japan not in this country, what we did here as Ministry of Health is that we sent our director of planning to go and append a signature to the Memorandum of Understanding,” he said.

Simbao said the 2.5 million yen was meant for equipment purely for UTH.

He said the Japanese company that won the contract was being represented by Specialized Services.

“That’s the only one that represents Philips in this country,” Simbao said.

But sources last week said President Rupiah Banda’s involvement in the 25 million euro Philips deal is not surprising because he has been known to represent that company before he became President.

The sources disclosed that Kafulafuta MMD member of parliament George Mpombo’s questioning of the government’s decision to award Philips a 25 million euro contract to cover the upgrade and maintenance of equipment in 71 government hospitals was justified. “I can tell you that it dates back to about year 2000. This was before His Excellency became part of the MMD government. Around that time, in his private capacity, His Excellency approached then permanent secretary Kashiwa Bulaya and introduced himself as the representative of Philips of Holland,” the source narrated. “And he had picked up information, I don’t know from where, that we had signed a line of credit with the Dutch government, against which we could purchase diagnostic equipment, X-rays … using that line of credit.” And health permanent secretary Dr Peter Mwaba last week told journalists during a media briefing that all the tender procedures for the said contracts had been adhered to. Dr Mwaba explained that there has been no recent contract awarded to Philips after the one in 2002, in which Philips was contracted to maintain medical equipment supplied by the Netherlands government. And earlier, Simbao said the donation made by Zain Zambia was a big surprise.

He said it was the first time that a telecommunications company had decided to look at the health of the people.

Simbao said there were about 88 deaths recorded out 3,242 measles cases in Lusaka.

He urged other corporate organization to emulate what Zain had done.

Simbao also urged parents to take their children for vaccinations.

And Zain Zambia managing director David Holliday said his organization was deeply concerned at the outbreak of measles in the country.

“It didn’t take us long to decide as indeed others have, to lend our support,” said Holliday. “…We are very pleased indeed honourable minister that your government is tackling this issue and has declared it as a top priority to address. It’s through a government taking such a proactive stance for the greater good of its people, that it can be proud of the positive effects this will have in all the communities across the country, for all the children.”

Labels: CORRUPTION, KAPEMBWA SIMBAO

posted by MrK @ 3:36 PM