The Board of Directors of the Social Insurance Institute (IPS) decided to postpone the review of a multimillion-dollar tender for the purchase of biological, biotechnological, and immunosuppressant drugs and other critical-stock supplies. The head of the entity, Isaías Fretes, considered the total cost of G. 376 billion excessive and asked for more time to hear from experts.
"That figure frightens me. It's very expensive, too much money directed at a small population. In this case, I think it requires a better analysis," Fretes said during the session. The IPS chief added that the one-week pause will allow for a "disinterested and impartial" study and will bring more transparency to the process.
The decision comes amid previous criticism by Fretes of opaque awards at the IPS. In contrast, the board approved the tender for parenteral solutions with a significant cost reduction. The process, originally estimated at G. 32.1 billion for 12 items, was awarded for G. 17 billion. The 0.9% sodium chloride item saw a 48% drop from the reference price.
The IPS attributed the savings to "greater transparency, predictability, and effective competition" in the procurement procedure. The YouTube broadcast of the session, however, again experienced audio failures, drawing complaints from beneficiaries who were following the meeting.