Health Minister Criticizes Local Medical Device Manufacturers
Bishkek – 27 September 2024
Domestic manufacturers of medicines and medical devices have been accused of selling their products to the Ministry of Health at inflated prices. Health Minister Alymkadyr Beishenaliev made this revelation during a meeting of the Ata Zhurt parliamentary faction.
Beishenaliev stated that the Ministry of Health is required to purchase local products, but an audit conducted by the State Committee for National Security and the Accounts Chamber revealed that domestic companies were taking advantage of this policy. They were selling medicines and medical devices to the ministry with a markup of 40-50 percent.
“Under the previous agreement, these companies were allowed to sell products to us with a 20 percent markup. However, it was discovered that this clause had been removed, allowing them to set their own prices. If we had purchased the same medicines from foreign manufacturers, we could have saved 73 million soms and 47 million on medical devices,” Beishenaliev explained.
This issue raises concerns about the transparency and fairness of the procurement process within the healthcare sector. The Ministry of Health is now facing pressure to address these discrepancies and ensure that domestic manufacturers adhere to reasonable pricing practices. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.
