Panama Cancels Spanish-Led Consortium’s Hospital Contract

The Latin American Herald reported on the government of Panama’s recent contract cancellation.  They found anomalies in the contract like, hmmmmm -seems that 70 percent of the hospital’s equipment were not included in the contract.  This was a contract awarded under Martinelli’s watch.  Expect more of these to pop up.

PANAMA CITY – Panama’s government has officially canceled a $172.1 million contract awarded to a consortium led by Spanish civil engineering group Acciona for the construction of a new cancer hospital.

“A series of anomalies were found starting with the evaluation process and up to the awarding (of the contract),” the Health Ministry said in a resolution published earlier this week in the Official Gazette.

The contract with the Consorcio Nuevo ION de Panama for the new National Oncological Institute was signed in April 2014 but the Health Ministry last December announced its decision to unilaterally cancel it.

Among the anomalies detected, the resolution said a construction area totaling approximately 7,500 sq. meters (80,623 sq. feet) and 70 percent of the hospital’s equipment were not included in the contract.

A series of changes also were made to the functional medical plan after it had been published in the bid terms and conditions and without the approval of the institute’s medical-technical team that had initially prepared the document.

The resolution noted that the Health Ministry has proposed that the new cancer center form part of the Hospital City project that the Social Security Agency, or CSS, is building on Panama City’s outskirts.