Syed Shemul Parvez :
Another controversy is created in health sector again over the issue of the price of the purchasing masks.
The Ministry of Health has purchased surgical masks at unusual prices under the part of a project to control corona infections.
Sources said, these masks were bought at a higher price than even the price of N-95 masks.
As per the report given to the Parliamentary Committee on the Ministry of Health on Sunday, the average price of each surgical mask under the project in the fiscal year 2019-20 was Tk 356.96. In the same project, the price of each N-95 mask was Tk 293 only.
It is learned that these masks were purchased under the ‘Covid-19 Emergency Response and Pandemic Preparedness’ project. The project is being implemented by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with the assistance of the World Bank.
The government took up the project on an emergency basis in April when the corona infection started in the country in March last year.
According to sources, the Parliamentary Committee on the Ministry of Health wanted to know how much money the Ministry of Health had invested to buy the masks during the coronation period.
According to the calculation, since the onset of corona infection till June 7, the Ministry of Health has procured three types of masks (Surgical, N-95, KN-95) for Tk 226 crore 17 lakh 24 thousand through the Central Medical Stores Depot (CMSD).
On the other hand, under that project, in the financial year 2019-20, it has cost 39 crore 9 lakh 22 thousand 333 Taka to buy these three types of masks.
According to the project calculation, a total of 1 lakh 7 thousand 400 surgical masks were purchased.
The cost is 3 crore 83 lakh 37 thousand 493 Tk. That means, the price of each surgical mask is Taka 356. 96.
At the same time, 1 crore 7 lakh 20 thousand surgical masks have been purchased through CMSD. The cost has been 23 crore 28 lakh 34 thousand Tk. The price of each CMSD mask is Tk 21. 72 .
Besides, 5 lakh 29 thousand 620 N-95 masks were purchased under that project. The average price of each was Tk 293.77.
And KN-95 mask has also been bought at Tk 4 lakh 60 thousand. The average price of each is Tk 428.
Asked about the unusual price of the surgical mask, Azizur Rahman Siddiqui, Director of the Covid-19 Emergency Response and Pandemic Preparedness Project, told the media that he took over duty as director of the project last November. These were originally bought before him. As a result, he could not say in details what the context was then. He gave Mask’s estimate to the parliamentary committee. He said if the authorities say so, they will look into the matter.
Before Azizur Rahman Siddiqui, Iqbal Kabir was the director of this project. He was removed from the post after allegations of corruption in the project surfaced.
It has been seen in the market of capital city; nowadays a surgical mask can be purchased in retail price for 2 to 10 Taka.
Shopkeepers say the mask crisis erupted after the corona infection began last year. Then the price went up rise. Many did not have this mask then.
As a result, that time a surgical mask was sold for Tk 25-30.
But a surgical mask would cost more than Tk 350, it was quite impossible, Shopkeepers added.
It is mentionable that during the distribution of these items at the beginning of the corona infection last year, there were allegations of giving low-quality masks made in the name of N-95 masks. After publishing of the report in the media, the investigation committee found the truth after investigating the incident. The case is ongoing in that incident.
Besides, since the onset of the corona infection, there have been allegations of corruption in various purchases by the health ministry.
Last November, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) said that the Department of Health had violated the Government Procurement Rules 2008 by taking advantage of emergencies. In many cases purchases were made on verbal order.
