Significant procurement irregularities at the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) during the Covid-19 outbreak were revealed in a recent National Audit Office (NAO) audit, costing the public purse millions of dollars. In 2020, 10,200 swimming goggles were delivered in lieu of safety goggles, which had been ordered in an emergency for Rs. 14.27 million. Inspections in November 2021 found the inaccuracy, which was linked to a lack of technical examination and a violation of government procurement guidelines. A mere 54 goggles were sold, resulting in a stockpile worth Rs. 13.92 million for the SPC.
A questionable Rs. 29.62 million purchase of 5,000 PPE kits was also brought to light. Due to incomplete sets, the Medical Supplies Division (MSD) rejected the initial batch of 2,000 kits; nevertheless, the SPC supplied an additional 3,000 kits, which were also rejected. Unrecoverable losses from the mishandling included spending of Rs. 21.49 million and additional service fees of Rs. 8.13 million.
SPC General Manager Dinusha Dasanayake blamed the poor management on the early pandemic’s supply chain difficulties as well as a lack of prior PPE kit procurement knowledge. Notwithstanding these justifications, the NAO criticized the lack of technical supervision and responsibility that resulted in the expensive mistakes.