Government will allocate more than RD$1 billion to strengthen hospital supplies

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Government, through the Essential Medicines and Logistics Support Central Program (Promese/Cal), has allocated a budget of 1,098,585,524.70 for the purchase of medicines and health supplies. This initiative aims to strengthen the supply of hospitals and public health centers across the country from August to December 2023.

Promese/Cal conducted a transparent and compliant process for the National Public Tender reference: PROMESE/CAL-CCC-LPN-2023-0002, in accordance with the Law on Public Purchases and Contracts 340-06.

Adolfo Pérez, the general director of Promese/Cal, explained that the purchase aims to ensure that essential medicines are readily available to the population attending public health centers in a timely manner. This extraordinary purchase was made possible by the government’s increased allocation to Promese/Cal in the 2023 budget, reflecting President Luis Abinader’s commitment to safeguarding the health of the Dominican people.

Omar García, the director of medicines at the Health Service (SNS), praised the transparency demonstrated by Promese/Cal in its procurement processes. He highlighted the collaborative efforts between the SNS, led by Dr. Mario Lama, Promese/Cal, and the Treasury to increase the budget for purchasing more medicines and supplies. This adjustment will help meet the needs of hospitals and primary care centers.

The tender included 361 items, such as vitamins, anticonvulsants, neuroleptics, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, anti-inflammatories, antihistamines, anthelmintics, antidiabetics, antimicrobials, inhibitors, erythropoietin, insulin, spinal needles, serum downpipes, cannulas, catheters, syringes, and others.

Seventy bidders participated in the highly competitive process, with 1,206 product samples received. Of these, 889 were deemed compliant, while 309 were non-compliant. Some lines were left empty due to non-submission of samples, non-compliance with requirements, or disqualification.

The event was conducted publicly at a hotel in the capital and broadcast virtually. It was attended by public notaries, bidders, a Compliance Officer from the Public Procurement Department, the Promese/Cal purchasing committee, and members of the media.