Dawes adamant $31 million surgical drill overpriced

 

Opposition spokesperson on Health, Dr. Alfred Dawes, is insisting that there may have been a significant markup in the cost of a surgical drill recently purchased for the Bustamante Hospital for Children. 

 

The drill reportedly cost $31.5 million. 

 

Dr. Dawes is requesting that the serial number of the drill be made public. He says this is necessary for full transparency in relation to the purchase of the equipment.

 

"So we can compare to see if the drills are different or they are the same. If they are the same, there are further questions to be asked. If they are not the same, there are also follow-up questions. The stance that the Jamaica Labour Party has taken is to personally attack me and my credibility to make it seem as if I am making false statements. Everything that I have stated has been backed up by proof in writing and I have submitted all of that to the Auditor General as well as the Integrity Commission for further investigation," he said in a video statement. 

 

Medical Technologies Limited, the company at the centre of the controversy over the sale of the surgical drill to the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA), has pushed back on claims by Dr. Dawes that the equipment was overpriced.