PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry has given Pharmaniaga a 25-month interim period for procurement of drugs, once the pharmaceutical company’s concession ends on Nov 30.
Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad (pix) in announcing this yesterday, said that the extension was given in order to avoid disruption to the supply and distribution of medicines to the Health Ministry’s facilities nationwide.
“The Cabinet has decided to give Pharmaniaga the interim period of 25 months for MOH to do all the preparation needed, from all aspects including managing the information system, creation of a new open tendering process,“ he said in a press conference held today after chairing the ministry’s post Cabinet meeting.
The open tender process is to come, following accusations that Pharmaniaga’s present concession was a monopoly.
Meanwhile, Dzulkefly said that starting Dec 1, 2019, the government awarded Pharmaniaga a five-year contract for logistics and distribution of medicines based on the capabilities, performance and everything that Pharmaniaga has built until now.
“The government has decided it as a matter of policy to award the contract for five years. After five years the situation depends.
“In the five-year period, the government will build capacity through vendor development programmes and so after that, the ministry will be able to make open tenders for medicine logistics concessions,“ he said.
