A public procurement is being prepared at the Fifth City Hospital to rent a PET scanner for three years, which could cost the health facility nearly 20 million leva. Instead of purchasing a brand new device for about 7 million leva and owning it, the hospital will pay millions for temporary use, and the main part of the revenues from the tests will go to a private company. Simeon Stavrev, a municipal councilor from “Democratic Bulgaria“, spoke to FACTI.
- Mr. Stavrev, how is the public procurement of the Fifth City Hospital for the PET scanner proceeding. At what stage is it?
- The case is the following. As is known, the hospital has announced a public tender for the rental of a PET scanner for a period of three years. Currently, only one price proposal has been submitted - from the company that has been renting the "Poliscan" device until now. It is a three-year lease of almost 20 million leva - about 552,000 leva per month. The biggest problem is that after three years the hospital will not own this scanner, but will have paid a huge amount just to use it.
- How much does a new PET scanner cost if the hospital decides to buy it?
- About 7 million leva. That is, instead of giving 20 million for rent, we can buy a device that will remain the property of the hospital. The difference is 13 million leva - money that is literally thrown away.
- How is the public tender itself structured?
- There are a number of oddities here. For example, if the company offers a lower percentage of money to be kept for the hospital, it gets more points and its chance of winning is greater. In practice - the smaller the percentage for the hospital (the hospital's income), the more profitable it is for the participant. In addition, as a condition of the order, such a short delivery time is set that only companies that already have the device available can actually participate. Let me remind you that there were also requirements such as “the operating system must be at least Windows 10“!? Given that the support for this system expires in mid-October. What is this… These are unnecessary restrictions.
- What does the hospital receive from each examination performed?
- From a PET scanner examination, which costs about 1800 leva and is covered by the Health Insurance Fund, 20% remains for the hospital, and 80% for the company. That is, the vast majority of the money goes to the private company.
- What revenue does the hospital generate on an annual basis?
- About 19 million leva. Of this, the hospital pays the company about 6.5 million leva for rent. One third of the revenue goes to a private entity, instead of being invested in the medical facility. And in reality, about 7 million leva costs a brand new device.
- Is there an option for the hospital to buy the device itself?
- I personally submitted a proposal to the Municipal Council that if the hospital wants, we can provide financing - a loan or a targeted subsidy - to purchase the scanner. Under this scheme, the hospital will pay the amount gradually, but the device will remain its asset.
- What explanation did the hospital management give?
- We summoned the director, Dr. Denchev, to the Health Commission in the municipality. He could not give clear answers as to why the order was made in this way. It is worrying that he himself admitted that he is already negotiating with the current supplier of the device for the percentage of money that will remain for the hospital. This is scandalous. How can oral negotiations be held in an open public procurement procedure when there is only one candidate. There is also something else interesting.
- What…
- There was a change in the equipment during the previous contract. And this is also doubtful. Initially, the hospital had one PET scanner, but in the middle of the contract the company replaced it with another. I asked on what basis and in which contract such a right is provided, are there any differences between the two devices, how was the new device certified by the Nuclear Regulatory Agency, because they have to issue a work permit. I did not receive any written answers.
- But now the order is going on, right?
- Yes, it is going on, but we will see what will come out, because there are also suspicions of a conflict of interest.
- Can you explain?
- The manager of the company that is renting the device is the head of a department at the Fifth City Hospital. In addition, documents for the public procurement were prepared by the former temporary director, who is the sister of GERB MP Lachezar Ivanov. According to public data, the woman in question is also a co-founder of this company. That is, an employee of the hospital is preparing documentation according to which the company she is associated with wins a contract worth millions. This is an obvious conflict of interest.
- Is it possible to terminate the order?
- Yes, the law gives the director the right to terminate the procedure when there is only one participant left, since there is no real competition. I sent an official letter with such a request, but there is no response. Instead, the hospital can apply for funding from the Municipality to purchase its own PET scanner. We will see.
- So the contract can be signed at any moment now?
- Yes. Then the hospital will pay 20 million for a device that will not belong to it in three years. This is an absurd and economically unjustified decision. Especially since we know that there are 12 more hospitals in Bulgaria that already have their own PET scanners, without paying such rents. The devices in these hospitals are their property, and only in Peta Gradska is such a device rented.