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Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, the Minister of Health on Thursday told Parliament in Accra that the Health Ministry sought and received approval from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) to use single source procedure to produce various personal protective equipment (PPE).

“This is because of the emergency of the situation,” he explained.

Mr Agyeman-Manu, in response to a question, explained to the House how the Ministry procured the services of contractors to produce personal protective equipment (PPE) in fighting COVID-19.

Mr Edward Abambire Bawa, the Member of Parliament for Bongo Constituency asked the Minister how the services of contractors were procured to produce PPE such as face masks, medical scrubs, hospital gowns and head gears in the fight against COVID-19.

The Health Minister said in engaging the services of contractors, the Ministry of Health requested for quotations from registered suppliers based on their areas of business and wrote to the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) in accordance with Section 40 of Act 663 as amended to request for approval to use single source procedure to produce the various PPEs because of the emergency.

He said in situations, where the threshold involved was above that of the Ministry’s, the Ministry then sought and received approval from the Central Tender Review Committee depending on the contract amount in accordance with the provisions of the Public Procurement Act 2003; Act 663 as amended.

“Regarding the locally produced PPE, the Ministry of Trade and Industry pre-qualified local manufacturing companies in the garment industry and submitted the names of the firms to the Ministry of Health for engagement,” Mr Agyeman-Manu said.

He noted that the Ministry of Health then sought and received approval from the PPA in accordance with Section 40 of Act 663 as amended to engage the local manufacturing firms to produce PPE, face masks, medical scrubs, hospital gowns and head gears in the fight against COVID-19; adding that this was to help strengthen the local capacity to respond to future pandemics.

He said contracts were awarded to the local manufacturers (contractors) upon receipt of all the necessary approvals.