The HSE placed orders for almost 3,500 ventilators at a total cost €129 million — nearly twice the number approved by the Department of Health.
THE HSE PURCHASED ten times more ventilators than were necessary and was “seriously misleading” the Department of Health and Department of Public Expenditure in relation to its spending during the pandemic, according to the Comptroller and Auditor General.
In response to a proposal from the HSE, the Department of Health on 21 March 2020 sanctioned the purchase of 1,900 ventilators at an estimated cost of €73.5 million, an average cost of €38,700 per ventilator. The HSE sent advance payments to these ten suppliers but were found to have only carried out due diligence checks on four of them.
Hospitals were advised not to put some models of ventilator into use and HSE Procurement was also advised to cease accepting delivery of the ventilators sourced from these suppliers, the report continued. The HSE is still pursuing refunds of €22.3 million for orders that were cancelled or where the ventilators received were deemed not usable, the C&AG found.
“This was seriously misleading and negated the effectiveness of the Departments’ oversight of the expenditure.”
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