GPO selects winning bid to supply 8.9m COVID-19 test kits

[snoop1130]

 

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Government Pharmaceutical Organization has announced the winning supplier of 8.5 COVID-19 antigen test kits, after choosing the lowest bidder, and helping the government save 400 million baht in costs. Doctors have however raised concerns over the quality of the test kits from this manufacturer.

 

The Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) today announced it had selected the winner of its 8.5 million COVID-19 antigen test kits supply contract, with delivery expected this month.

 

The GPO’s Deputy Managing Director Sirinuch Cheewanpisalnukul, said today the lowest bidder had been selected by the GPO to supply the test kits at 70 baht per kit, helping save some 400 million baht.

 

She said this low price per unit suggests the current retail price of antigen test kits at pharmacies in Thailand could still be lowered further, from the current average price around 300 baht per kit.

 

Meanwhile, the GPO has been authorized by Rajavithi Hospital to procure 8.5 million antigen test kits to supply the National Health Security Office’s (NHSO) urgent active case finding campaign. The organization is now working closely with Rajavithi Hospital and the NHSO to finalize the contract and distribute the test kits before the end of this month.

 

However, the Rural Doctor Society today released a statement stressing their concerns over the quality of the test kits being procured by the GPO.

 

They say the kits provided by the winning supplier, manufactured by Lepu Medical Technology in China, were recalled in the United States by the U.S. Food and Drugs Administration on 28th May due to the inaccuracy of test results.

 

The Rural Doctor Society has stressed the GPO should only procure antigen test kits which have been approved by the World Health Organization, which involves more stringent certification standards than the Thai FDA.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2021-08-12

 

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[2long]

So, they choose the lowest (price and probably quality) bidder and then wonder why "they postponed its procurement of 8.5 million antigen test kits, o test their quality after their ability to detect Covid-19 infections was cast into doubt."

 

they can't have best quality AND best price, but it's only the immediate future of millions of Thai citizens at risk, so no worries mate!

[Wiggy]

Again, the government ignore the advice of doctors and purchase the goods from those providing the fattest brown envelopes, I suspect. 

[Scrotobike]

"Lepu Medical Technology in China"

 

CCP giveth (virus) and CCP taketh away (your cash).

Given the usefulness of sinovac I can see why China would be the goto place

[yang123]

11 minutes ago, Scrotobike said:

"Lepu Medical Technology in China"

 

CCP giveth (virus) and CCP taketh away (your cash).

Given the usefulness of sinovac I can see why China would be the goto place

All three of the company's test kits have been pulled in the US - source: Lepu's own website. 

[sapson]

The kits that a minister announced should not be bought from online sources just a few weeks ago.

 

The current kits in Thailand at most pharmacies are made by Roche Switzerland.

[smedly]

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

They say the kits provided by the winning supplier, manufactured by Lepu Medical Technology in China, were recalled in the United States by the U.S. Food and Drugs Administration on 28th May due to the inaccuracy of test results.

Should they not evaluate test kits before ordering them - yet another product from China that might be substandard - someone must be making loads out of these Chineese supply chains 

[placeholder]

Probably just a coincidence but unlike leading Western nations, China doesn't have laws outlawing the paying of bribes to secure foreign contracts.

[tomacht8]

https://www.massdevice.com/lepu-recalls-8m-covid-19-tests-due-to-risk-for-false-results/

 

What a coincidence. 8,4 million test recalled in the US. And now Thailand is buying 8,5 million.

 

Edited August 12, 2021 by tomacht8

[bkkflyer]

Strange how you can walk into a supermarket in Germany buying these test for 20-25 baht when buying 5 - but I guess buying 8 million does not give you any discount ???? 

[Nojohndoe]

4 minutes ago, tomacht8 said:

https://www.massdevice.com/lepu-recalls-8m-covid-19-tests-due-to-risk-for-false-results/

 

What a coincidence. 8 million test recalled in the US. And now Thailand is buying 8 million.

 

Who says corporate  collusion and co-operation is  dead ? Yippeee !

[rabas]

 

Precisely the test kit that all the doctors told them not to buy. "Don't buy the cheap, low quality one from China to make profit...", they said.  Anutin laughs, "Got to work on my amnesty", he said.

 

[tomacht8]

If it is absolutely necessary to have Chinese tests, they are available in Europe from 1.09 Euros net (without VAT)

1,09Euro = 42.25 baht

Are the Kits for 70 Baht a piece really so much better?

I guess the seller in Europe make also some small Profit. In bulk purchases they are definitely more cheaper. Maybe the Thais from the purchasing department should look again. Maybe they could save another 200 million baht there.

 

Edited August 12, 2021 by tomacht8

[tomacht8]

47 minutes ago, bkkflyer said:

Strange how you can walk into a supermarket in Germany buying these test for 20-25 baht when buying 5 - but I guess buying 8 million does not give you any discount ???? 

5 tests in a box costs 152 Baht (3,95€) incl. Supermarkt Profit and Vat. One test is than around 30 Baht for the endconsumer. Net around 27,5 Baht per piece. But some only anti body test. My prices up are for Antigen Tests.

Edited August 12, 2021 by tomacht8

[hotchilli]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) today announced it had selected the winner of its 8.5 million COVID-19 antigen test kits supply contract, with delivery expected this month.

China the smartest country on the planet....

Spread the love, provide the vaccines and sell the test kits.

[Boedog]

Government saved 400million baht, should read we didn't waste the whole budget on buying test kids we bought some cheap <deleted> poor quality ones that have been rejected in other countries so we got a good deal, now how many of my friends is this 400million need to be divided up into, can someone order some more envelopes please

[RocketDog]

Cynicism, pessimism, skepticism, criticism, frustration, doubt, and negativism all abound in the replies to this post.

 

Every one of them well-deserved and heartily warranted in my opinion.

 

Thailand, not content with being #1 in road carnage, is now challenging the world for #1 in corruption, malfeasance, deceit, distrust, and stupidity.

[nahkit]

Now you know why senior government officials and medical personnel require amnesty for their actions during the Covid pandemic.

[herfiehandbag]

So just over 10% of the population can be tested once then?

 

Pathetic

 

If these utter buffoons took even the shortest of breaks from stroking their egos or lining their pockets they might consider that all their fanciful and often baseless announcements of millions of this and hundreds of thousands of that ordered, considered, to be delivered at some vaguely specified time in the future, are entirely meaningless when compared with the most important statistic - the population at risk, needing testing and vaccination is over 70 million.

 

That is the number which should be emblazoned on every vinyl backdrop behind every bouquet of yellow flowers. Until you consider everything in that context their pronouncements are just trumps, (in the old English sense)!

Edited August 13, 2021 by herfiehandbag