ANTIQUE — The Antique provincial government’s bids and awards committee (BAC) has affirmed the propriety of its process in the recent acquisition of hospital beds for the Angel Salazar Memorial General Hospital (ASMGH), responding to concerns about the procurement's integrity.
According to Philippines News Agency, who addressed the issue during a Tuesday press conference, the purchase of 166 hospital beds, which included mattresses, intravenous poles, stools, overbed tables, and bedside cabinets for a total of PHP 9.96 million, was conducted in accordance with the rules of public bidding. Jungco asserted that the process was neither excessive nor irregular.
The equipment, sourced from B-Shine Pharma, a company based in Iloilo City, was delivered to ASMGH earlier this year. Ahead of the procurement, the committee had canvassed the market to ensure competitive pricing.
The issue was brought to the fore by board member Egidio Elio during a regular session on Monday, where he requested an inquiry into what he termed 'overpriced' procurement in a privilege speech. Elio emphasized the need for transparency, noting that the funds for the hospital beds were public monies, and in a subsequent Tuesday interview, he highlighted his findings that a unit of a hospital bed could cost between PHP 12,000 and PHP 15,000.
The provincial board plans to convene on November 13, where they will invite the BAC to provide further clarification on the procurement process.