CCL questions that the State is not willing to pay more for imported fans

The Lima Chamber of Commerce (CCL) reported that the acquisition of medical devices from abroad would amount to US $ 340 million at the end of 2021. Ventilators and oxygen concentrators are the most imported medical products in the ninth month of the year, with advances of 70% and 90%, respectively. .

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so far this year, oxygen concentrators for US $ 37 million, monitors for US $ 19 million, ventilators for US $ 17 million and oximeters for US $ 6 million have been imported .

“At this juncture of health crisis, generated by COVID-19, it is observed that these projections are in line with the figures registered as of September of this year, where the imported value of medical devices totaled approximately US $ 250 million,” explained the President of the Health Guild (Comsalud) of the CCL, Sandro Stapleton.

During the fifth edition of the International Convention on Health Products and Allied Sciences – TECNOSALUD 2021, the specialist also said that, in relation to devices such as needles, catheters and cannulas, the imported amount amounted to US $ 5 million, while the oxygen therapy devices reported $ 3 million.

CCL: The State does not want to pay more

Of the total imported medical devices, 75% goes to the State. In this sense, the contracted supplier companies, due to the external issue, are reporting problems with these deliveries that, if they do not meet the scheduled dates, they would pay a penalty.

“Acquisitions of quantities that are used in several months are made as if it were an emergency to deliver all the material immediately, paying higher prices when they could schedule a first emergency delivery and the following monthly deliveries, and thus get several bidders with better prices. This, in addition to generating unnecessary cost overruns, creates very high possibilities for corruption, ”Stapleton revealed.

However, he also criticized that the State, from Essalud and Cenares, insists on buying medical equipment at historic prices, leaving little room for maneuver for importers so that they can raise their prices in the local market.

“Many of the importers have had to adjust their prices, but they have found that, in the State, which is the main buyer, they insist on working with historical prices, making it difficult to increase the price, leaving only two options: lose the profit margin. selling everything until the stock runs out or simply stop selling ”, he concluded.