Shortage of coronavirus test kits is both dragging down the number of detection tests across the country and risking an increase in infection rates which, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) apprehends, is likely to tarnish the image of the government.
To ease the problem of testing the DGHS has demanded from Finance Division Tk 498.55 crore for import of kits, PCR test kits and to meet possible future expenditure during the fight against Covid-19 pandemic.
Of the funds, it has also requested to disburse Tk 279.49 crore for import of test kits but the Finance Division hasn’t yet released it in the last 21 days.
A source in the health services has said the treatment of Covid-19 will be severely hampered due to crisis of kits across the country. As a result, an intense public discontent will be created in society and the image of the government will be severely tarnished. Above all, a catastrophic situation may arise, health services letter reads.
Apart from this, the health department has requested for another Tk 220 crore fund to purchase PCR test and sample kits.
Additional Secretary of the Health Services Division Abu Hena Morshed Zaman, Director, Central Medical Stores Depot (CMSD) on July 5 sent an urgent demand letter to Secretary of Finance Division Abdur Rouf Talukder.
In the proposals, it mentioned the Covid-19 PCR kits and kits purchase worth of Tk 279.49 crore was earlier approved by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and cabinet on public procurement and economic affairs.
Director-General of Health Abul Kalam Azad said, "It's a routine work of the government to pay the bill after completion of the purchase deals.”
He said that the money has not been disbursed yet.
“It is important to increase the number of tests at this time but we are not able to do so due to various limitations,” he pointed out.
Of the total of 165 million people in Bangladesh, tests have been conducted on less than 1 million (918,272) with a 19.43% infection rate, since the first detection on March 8.
The health ministry in the last couple of days conducted 13,500 to 14,000 fresh tests a day against the experts’ advises of conducting 50,000 tests a day.
An official of finance division not to be disclosed his name said all ministries and divisions come under austerity measures apart from heath and agriculture.
Health ministry sought funds but they did not send appropriate documents and the division finds mismanagement in the purchase process, the official said.
The official also said, “We have sought an explanation from the health ministry for purchase essentials materials.”
Executive Director of TIB Iftekharuzzaman told The Business Post the public health system held back by corruption.
“The question that the department has raised about their purchase is very logical. Besides, the health ministry does not acknowledge that there is a crisis looming,” he said.
TIB executive director smells a rat in the direct purchase of kits on an emergency basis as health ministry earlier made statement that they have enough kits in stock.
In a letter, additional secretary of the Health Services wrote the country's medical system could be severely disrupted if the test of Covid-19 is not increased. This may cause intense public discontent across the country. As a result, the image of the government will be tarnished. Above all, he fears that a catastrophic situation may arise.
It further said that in order to cope with the situation, it is necessary to buy various medical items on emergency. For this, it will not be possible to pay the bill to the supplier company unless at least Tk 279.49 crore is released on an emergency basis.
The bill of Tk 85 crore for supply of 375,000 PCR test kits is already placed by four companies including Chinese Sansure Biotech, Jarin Enterprise, Sterling Multi-Technology, Overseas Marketing Company.
A bill of Tk 33.32 crore is due for the purchase of 20,000,000 test sample kits (DTM and swab stick) from BCSIR which is also pending.
As a result, new imports are being hampered and the failure to pay suppliers will lead to a crisis of confidence among them. At the same time, it is feared that other competing companies may provide incorrect information to the supplier despite the direct purchase method. In addition, the Department of Health has requested the release of another Tk 100 crore as an emergency allocation for the Covid-19 situation. Therefore, if Tk 279.49 crore is not disbursed as a matter of urgency, it will not be possible to pay even a partial bill to the suppliers of test kits, high flow nasal cannula, portable X-ray machine, oxygen concentrator, ICU bed etc.
This can disrupt the supply chain of medical supplies. If suppliers are not given bills on time, they will distrust CMSD. And they will be weakened by the conventional syndications. Considering the situation, the department has approved a demand letter for Tk 498.55 crore.
Meanwhile, different districts are facing a dearth of detection kits. Coronavirus testing has remained suspended in one of the facilities in Narayanganj since June 18 amid a severe kit crisis.
An assistant professor of a hospital in Gazipur said that while they were supposed to test 188 samples a day, the number came down to 70 to 80 due to kit crisis. The kit shortage has also been reported from Noakhali, Feni, Laxmipur, Jamalpur and even in some private hospitals in Dhaka.
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