JOHOR BARU – The preparation of a white paper on the procurement of the Covid-19 vaccine was not made to find fault with the previous administration but rather to improve the process in the future.
Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the team established to prepare the white paper will look at things that can be improved from what was presented by the Public Accounts Committee earlier.
“...not to look at the mistakes (of the previous government) but to come up with the best way, with more integrity, to ensure that it is also beneficial to the government and so on.
“(Because) we understand that the document (procurement) was done during an emergency, but there may be things we need to focus on,” she told reporters after the inauguration of the Sultanah Aminah Hospital Wellness Hub here today.
Asked when the white paper will be tabled in Parliament, the Sekijang MP said the white paper is still in the process of being completed and will be presented to the cabinet first before being tabled in Parliament.
Dr Zaliha said this when asked about the latest status of the white paper and when it will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat.
On February 8, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was quoted as saying that the Health Ministry would present a white paper on the procurement of vaccines and related costs, which was alleged to be partially non-compliant and was signed by the minister without the approval of the attorney-general.
Commenting on the Auditor General’s Report (A-G’s report) on the supply of faulty ventilators during the pandemic, which involved a loss of RM13 million, Dr Zaliha said she had sought an explanation from the officials involved.
“(I) have been informed (about this matter). Officials have given me an explanation, we will take note (about the ventilator) with other things that were done during the emergency and see where we can improve,” she added.
Three days ago, the A-G’s report said that only 28 out of 136 ventilators obtained by the Health Ministry through the emergency procurement procedure could be used. The remaining 108 ventilators supplied by a company could not be used because they were unsuitable and unsafe for patients.
The report mentioned that following that, the Health Ministry had returned only 15 of them to the manufacturer, while the loss claim of RM13.07 million for the other 93 units could not be carried out as there was no procurement document between the company and the ministry. – Bernama, February 19, 2023
