The Agency of Medications and Medical Devices contributes to the monopolization of the medical equipment market of Moldova. Such an accusation was made by the Association of Producers and Suppliers of Medical Devices and Laboratory Equipment in a news conference at IPN. Representatives of the Association said the Agency repeatedly held a defective tender contest, favoring a company with a more expensive and less favorable bid.
The Association’s head Stanislav Lesnic said the Agency of Medications in 2013 held a tender contest to purchase radio diagnostic equipment. The winner then offered to buy equipment of a poor quality at a higher price - 46.6 million lei without VAT, by 18 million lei more expensive than the cheapest bid. The Association challenged the results of the tender contest and the Public Procurement Agency annulled them. Afterward, in 2014, the Agency staged a new tender contest for the same type of equipment, with the same technical parameters. It was won by the same economic entity. This time the offer was 35 million lei for the same model of equipment. The difference in prices was probably due to the fact the first time the indicated producer was France, while the second time – China, even if it the equipment is the same.
Stanislav Lesnic stated that the patients, society will suffer the consequences because these millions are included in the cost of the provided services or of the treatment.
Marius Irimioaia, manager of Imunotehnomed SRL that took part in the tender contest, said the technical specifications imposed by the Agency of Medications evidently favored an economic entity. The Agency disqualified the company that he represents for the reason that the offer didn’t include certain documents, but the presented package of documents was actually complete.
Neotec SRL manager general Andrei Botnaru said that his company was put in the same situation. In the justification for rejecting the bid of Neotec, the Agency for Medications included incorrect data, not those indicated by the company in its offer. “I don’t want to believe that this was done deliberately. I hope this is the amateurism of the specialists of the Agency of Medications,” said Andrei Botnaru, noting that the Public Procurement Agency’s answer to the filed challenge was dated November 7, but was send by mail on November 13 and this was done intentionally so as to prevent the companies from putting other questions or submitting other challenges.
Sergiu Rata, director general of Imunotehnomed, said the Agency has too many powers and that’s why such problems appear. “It’s not normal when an institution has a number of powers that come into conflict. The Agency of Medications and Medical Devices issues import authorizations, prepares technical specifications, holds tender contests and signs contracts. It also monitors the implementation of these contracts and now also registers medical devices,” he explained.
Sveatoslav Prodan, manager of Dutchmed-M SRL, said there are economic entities favored by the Agency that win annually contracts worth hundreds of millions of lei. The success on the market depends on the number of relatives in the appropriate institutions rather than on the competence of the companies and the quality of their services.
