The government has proposed with China to procure medical supplies through government to government arrangements.
Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali has proposed so telephoning his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. "Minister Gyawali requested for Government of China’s cooperation and facilitation for the purchase of essential medicines and medical equipment on G-to-G basis," the Foreign Ministry said issuing a press statement. "Foreign Minister Yi assured of China’s cooperation and necessary facilitation for the purchase of medicines and medical equipment to Nepal."
The government on April 1 had unilaterally revoked the contract with Omni Group, that had brought the first lot of medical materials from China three days earlier, citing the latter's inability to bring additional materials. Omni Group, with no previous experience in medical supplies, was given the contract without any bidding process in a process that lacked transparency.
It has since decided to hand over the responsibility of bringing the materials to the Nepal Army through government to government arrangements.
The decision to ask the army to bring in the medical supplies has been widely criticized saying the army has been handed over the responsibility to avoid investigation of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).
Many also complain that asking the army to bring medical supplies would depict the civilian government as incompetent.
