By KETRA KALUNGA
We are not directed by the Ministry of Health to procure medicines and medical supplies, it only provides information on how to conduct the process, the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supply Agency (ZAMMSA) director general Billy Mweetwa has clarified.
Mr. Mweetwa also clarified that ZAMMSA uses the National Open Tender which is the preferred model of floating the tenders governed by its values of transparency and is conducted through the government platform.
Mr. Mweetwa said during the launch of the Zambia Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Industry (ZPMI) that under the National Open Tender model first preference is given to citizen suppliers and local manufacturers who are Zambians as provided in the Public Procurement Act. 8 of 2020.
He stated that ZAMMSA takes two weeks minimum to float the tender up to maximum of 30 days and asks for a waiver and this was because of the situation of low supply of medicines and medical supplies.
“After this is done, then we evaluate the bidders and the process is well governed. We have people that sit on parliament committees, some come from ACC to ensure that we are doing the right thing, and some of the members we have invited are from the CSOs,” he said.
Mr. Mweetwa also clarified that the tender process of procuring drugs which was misunderstood was done when there was an emergency and ZAMMSA is allowed by law to procure the drugs worth K1 million.
He advised bidders to ensure that they give complete information which ZAMMSA looks for when floating tenders because some have been removed from the lists for giving incomplete data.
“The next thing we look for is the product, it must be registered with the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority because when this is done, we know it will meet the quality, efficaciousness and safety,” he said.
Mr. Mweetwa said the other crucial thing which ZAMMSA looks for which was the performance issue was the price reasonableness, any contract which is 4 to 5 times above the normal market price sometimes even above the retail price is cancel.
