Call on government to make tender documents public

Opposition health spokesman Michael Farrugia has called on the government to urgently make public all the original tender documents submitted by all companies bidding for the Lm30 million contract for the supply, installation and commissioning of medical equipment and medical furniture for Mater Dei Hospital.

He also called for the publication of reports by the British consultancy firm Sectar which had been engaged by the Foundation for Medical Services to evaluate the bids.

Dr Farrugia said in a statement that he was making his call in the interests of transparency in view of allegations of irregularities in the way this tender was processed.

He said that after the call for tenders had closed, the information contained in the bid submitted by just one of the bidders, Hospitalia International, had been made public, putting the company at a disadvantage.

Dr Farrugia observed that claims of abuse had been made in correspondence with the Director of Contracts and through a protest in court.

It was being alleged that the preferred company with which talks had been started by the Director of Contracts, INSO, was changing the details of its original bid so that they would comply with the conditions laid down in the call for tenders. The original bid by this company had never been made public.