While STO bid 3 types of ventilators, 2 out of the 3 were expensive. However, the other ventilator was the cheapest offered but did not meet the requirements of the project, according to the Health Ministry.
Health Ministry had assigned the project of procuring 145 ventilators to two Maldivian companies MedTech and Naad instead of STO. The awarding of the project became a source of controversy as STO had offered the cheapest bid for the project.
Health Ministry has sent a letter to STO stating the reason as to why the project of procuring 145 ventilators for COVID-19 was not assigned to STO. In the letter, the ministry has said that out of the three offers made by the STO the cheapest one did not include neonatal ventilators. Thus the ministry could not accept the cheapest offer, and the other two offers were more expensive than the offers made by MedTech and Naad.
In addition to that, the ministry stated that including neonatal ventilators are a requirement in the project as in neonatal ventilators will be used to treat infants.
STO offered three options for the project: first option cost was MVR 878,475 per ventilator, second option cost was MVR 206,666 per ventilator, and third one cost MVR 429,801 per ventilator.
MedTech Maldives offered to procure 50 Bellavista ventilators within a duration of 7 to 14 days for MVR 288,914 per ventilator. Naad offered to procure 20 EVE-IN ventilators within a duration of 14 for MVR 351,577 per ventilator.
MedTech has so far delivered 18 ventilators to the State and the ministry has assigned to bring 75 more ventilators to Dubai’s Executors General Trading. The government has said that Dubai’s Executors General Trading will deliver 45 ventilators by the end of this month.
