MOH Spent K180 Million On ‘Useless’ Tricycle Ambulances
An investigation by News Diggers has revealed that the Ministry of Health fraudulently awarded a contract worth K180 million ($8.5 million) to Barakatel Investment Ltd. in order to purchase 1,500 tricycle ambulances.
Further investigations revealed that only 1,114 tricycles were delivered to the ministry and that these were left abandoned and vandalised at the Kalindawalo Hospital in Petauke.
Ministry of Health officials reportedly misled the Zambia Public Procurement Agency (ZPPA) by claiming that the ambulances were needed as part of an emergency response to the Covid-19 pandemic. They also only received clearance to spend $6.1 million on the tricycles but instead purchased $8.5 million’s worth - K50 million more than was agreed.
Shockingly, the ZPPA initially turned down the purchase in July 2020, claiming there was no compelling justification for it. The MOH then revised down its cost estimate from $8.1 million to $6.15 million and claimed that suppliers other than Barakatel were all out of stock.
The MOH were then given clearance to purchase the tricycles but the Auditor General’s report shows that it spent $8.5 million - more even than the original estimate. At no point did the ministry provide a detailed report on its procurement proceedings either before or after its contract with Barakatel.
To make matters worse, the tricycles that did arrive were not what had initially been ordered. Whereas the MOH had put in a request for bikes with suspension brakes and brake shoes with wheel drums, the actual ambulances had only single disc, twin piston brakes. The bikes were also significantly smaller than what was ordered.
The bikes are now in very bad shape, having not been used in months. Reports by the Auditor General show that they have been exposed to adverse weather conditions and that the ropes attaching the tents of the ambulances to the cargo boxes have rotted.
Te report concluded: “Loss of public funds. Failure to achieve the objectives of the procurement of the Tricycle Ambulances to help in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.”
This latest corruption scandal to hit the Ministry of Health comes just seven months after the infamous Honey Bee saga, which led to the sacking of former Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya.
During Chilufya’s time in office, the MOH awarded a $17 million contract for health kits to HoneyBee pharmacies despite the company failing to meet mandatory procurement conditions. The kits were later found to contain mouldy paracetamol and defective latex condoms and gloves that leaked when filled with water.