The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) will procure medical supplies for the Maldives government, local media has reported.
The government of Maldives will spend MVR 67 million (US$4,370,544) to obtain pharmaceuticals and other medical equipment for state-run hospitals and health centres through UNOPS, Health Ministry Director General Dr Sheeza Ali has said.
“Getting pharmaceuticals and equipment through a UN-agency like UNOPS will ensure quality, as they only buy high-quality, best-value goods from suppliers that meet their standards,” Sheeza was quoted by local newspaper Haveeru as saying.
“An analysis we did before signing the agreement showed that the cost of obtaining pharmaceuticals and other equipment would decrease by 20-30 percent,” she added.
UNOPS will procure the medical goods through its extensive network of suppliers in four phases. The two year contract, signed April 15, 2013, requires the Maldives’ government to pay the UN agency on a twice yearly basis.
The current project will help to build the government’s procurement capacity to obtain medical supplies, according to Ali.
Once the UNOPS contract expires, the Maldives’ government will independently acquire medical goods, she added. Previously the government secured pharmaceuticals through individual suppliers.
The decision to contract with UNOPS was made by the cabinet, while the attorney general and Finance Ministry approved the project, according to Ali.
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