The state pharmaceuticals and medical equipment supplier has received the second batch of medical equipment it procured from America and Switzerland under the new procurement arrangement.

Procured from the Swiss company Roche Holding AG and Beckman Coulter Inc, an American company, the glucometer, haematology and chemistry testing machines were delivered to the Pharmaceuticals Supply Agency last month. The two companies supplied 33 units of chemistry and haematology equipment and 285 glucometers.

This year the Pharmaceuticals Supply Agency has switched to a framework procurement arrangement, which enables the Agency to buy items once and be supplied for three years.

The former arrangement did not permit the Agency to make more than one purchase from one company, forcing the Agency to wait until the next budget year to buy new equipment and their reagents.

The Agency also started a placement procurement arrangement, wherein the companies will be supplying the equipment for free, but the Agency is obligated to buy the reagents only from that supplier.

The Agency, through its previous arrangment, had trouble getting a consistent supply of chemical reagents from the company that laboratory testing machines were purchased from, according to Adna Berhe, communications director at the Agency.

"This resulted in low efficiency in providing laboratory services and was not cost-effective," Adna said.

Under the new arrangement, the Agency will get a consistent supply of reagents for the testing machines and maintenance service for three years.

During the delivery of the first procurement under the framework agreement made in April, the Agency received 285 glucometers and 16 haematology and chemistry machines.

Thirty glucometers were supplied to Black Lion and St. Paulos hospitals in the capital, while the other 16 hospitals in the city received haematology and chemistry testing machines. The installation of the machines at these hospitals is already completed.