Minister Sasko Orders Public Procurement Audit in Health-care Sector

Bratislava, 16 January (TASR) - Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) has ordered an internal audit of relevant public procurements in the health-care sector over the past few months, doing so in response to a suggestion from employees of the Health Ministry, who pointed out possible irregularities in the assessment and implementation of public procurement, as well as in the interest of maintaining the highest standards of transparency and economy, TASR was told by the ministry's spokesperson Veronika Danicova on Friday. "Our goal is absolute transparency and zero tolerance for any misconduct. The public must be assured that public resources in health care are being used as economically and efficiently as possible. That's why I've immediately ordered a comprehensive internal audit to review the processes and contracts that are the subject of the questions. If any misconduct is proven, I'll hold those responsible accountable, both factually and personally," said Sasko in response to complaints from Health Ministry employees, which were brought to his attention by his office before Christmas after a meeting with the employees who filed the complaints. The ministry emphasises that assessments of specifications and price maps are for informational purposes only in public procurement. When making the final decision on the outcome of public procurement, the relevant managers and responsible executives must also take into account other important factors that may not be fully reflected in the price maps. These include, for example, assessing infrastructure as critical, taking into account the specifics of the Slovak market and inflation, and ensuring compatibility with existing systems. The Health Ministry is actively investigating whether the public procurements in question were carried out in accordance with the law, with the main objective being to ensure economy and efficiency. am