Medical Procurements of Ukraine Announces its First Tenders

The state-owned enterprise ‘Medical Procurements of Ukraine’ announces tenders for the procurement of medicines and medical products under the Global Fund programs. It is about procurement of logistics services and drugs for opportunistic infections and adverse reactions in HIV/AIDS and TB management, as well as medical respirators.

Tenders announced in January will be the first purchases by a newly established state-owned enterprise. In general, ‘Medical Procurements of Ukraine’ should not only conduct dozens of tenders in 2019, but also apply new procurement tools. For example, electronic catalogues (e-catalogues) would allow procuring entities, primarily small regional healthcare settings, to order quickly and conveniently standardized medicines and products on the online store principle. In addition, SOE ‘Medical Procurements of Ukraine’ should obtain the status of a central procurement agency (CPA) and begin to work with procurement based on framework agreements, which should also greatly simplify the workload of regional procuring entity.

Since 2015, there are specialized international procuring organizations operating in Ukraine that assist it in procurement of drugs, vaccines and medical products. UNDP, UNICEF and Crown Agents have set a very high bar of medical procurements for prices, competition and transparency. According to Deputy Minister of Health Olha Stefanyshyna, one of the key tasks for MoH today is to follow international best practices and build open and reliable relations with suppliers: ‘The experienced public procurement professionals have already joined the state enterprise’s team. They should build a dialogue with suppliers and customers to make medical procurements as transparent and efficient as possible. To that end, before the procurement was announced, open meetings were held with suppliers to clarify Terms of Reference for the tenders and to prevent occurrence of discriminatory requirements.’

Participant in the aforementioned tenders may be any supplier who meets the requirements stated in the tender documents.

‘We encourage suppliers of medicines and medical products to get actively involved in tender discussions and participate therein. Our goal is to build an effective and open medical procurement system. And we can achieve this goal only with the support of a bona fide business’, - commented Olha Stefanyshyna.

The state commercial enterprise ‘Medical Procurements of Ukraine’ was established to organize and conduct procurement procedures of medicines, medical products, auxiliaries, other medical supplies (medical goods), services and purchases under the framework agreements for medical goods and services in the interests of procuring entities in accordance with the Public Procurement Law of Ukraine.

Establishment of SOE ‘Medical Procurements of Ukraine’ is a further step in the implementation of the recently updated  concept  for the reform of the procurement of medicines and medical products.

In the future, the newly created state-owned enterprise will purchase medicines under strategic programs (vaccines, infectious diseases, national programs) with state budgetary funds. In addition, it will work with the market to reduce prices, make pools of local purchases, conduct purchases under framework agreements, form and maintain electronic catalogues, as well as increase the level of professionalism in the procurement of medicines and medical products.

More details: https://bit.ly/2ToZuMp