Faulty ventilators: Pharmaniaga agrees to repay govt RM16.7m

 

Pharmaniaga has agreed to pay back the government some RM16.7 million for 104 faulty ventilators they received from China in 2020, said the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

According to a PAC report released today, Pharmaniaga’s subsidiary, Pharmaniaga Logistics Sdn Bhd (PLSB), has agreed to the arrangement in principle during a meeting with government representatives on Feb 29.

Following this, PAC chairperson Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said the committee is now satisfied with the Health Ministry’s response to its recommendations regarding the matter.

“PAC is satisfied with the Health Ministry’s action where it managed to secure repayment of RM16,785,910.95 for 104 units of ventilator machines that were faulty.

“This action by the ministry was in line with one of the recommendations PAC made before, where the ministry was asked to check the warranty status for all 136 ventilators (it received in 2020) and ensure that appropriate actions are taken against those responsible.

“Hence, PAC now recommends that the money should be topped up by the Finance Ministry and used to ensure readiness of ventilator machines at all government hospitals,” she said in a statement today.

It was reported that the government had ordered 136 ventilator machines from China at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

However, despite a price tag of RM20.1 million for the machines, the ministry found that 104 of them could not be used for various reasons.

However, due to the absence of a signed contractual agreement between the ministry and Pharmaniaga Bhd, which made upfront payments for the ventilators, PAC said no one could be held responsible for the blunder. - Mkini