FIRM AT CENTER OF SCANNERS SCANDAL LINKED TO MEGASCOPE HEALTHCARE

The Senate Health Committee has cited Megascope Healthcare Kenya Limited and Neusoft Medical Systems Company over Sh7 billion deals for ICT suppliers to 37 counties

Mr. Richard Ngatia

 

A Chinese firm at the center of auditor general Edward Ouko’s queries on the supply of CT scanners to the ministry of Health Neusoft Medical Systems has direct links with Megascope Healthcare. Megascope is operated by the newly elected chairman of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Richard Ngatia. The two firms are indeed associated with a center for capacity building for medical engineers operating in the country.

The center is a joint venture between the Chinese firm, manufacturers of medical equipment and Megascope Healthcare Kenya Ltd (K) Earlier media reports indicate that The Megascope training center has been training engineers on how to handle the CT scanners and other medical equipment sourced from China and has been supplying to different African countries. Megascope provided the center in one of its premises in Lavington while Neusoft is funding the training program. Mr. Ouko has questioned why the ministry spent Sh1.74 billion under specialized plant equipment and machinery paid for Computed Tomography (CT) scanners.

This was a 20 per cent of the contract value which was paid as a condition for the government to obtain a loan of Sh7 billion from China to finance the purchase of the CT scanners. In its report for the year ending June 2018, Ouko questioned why the scanners procured through Neusoft Medical Systems Company Limited had no procurement documents provided at the time of the conclusion of the audit review.

The Senate Health Committee has cited Megascope Healthcare Kenya Limited and Neusoft Medical Systems Company over Sh7 billion deals for ICT suppliers to 37 counties. Other contracts facing audit include Sh47 billion won by Shenzen Mindray Bio-Electronics Company of China dealing with theater equipment supplied to 96 hospitals, Sh9 billion deal by Esteem Industries of India for supply of surgical instruments to 96 hospitals. It is believe that the above companies are represented in Kenya by Mr. Ngatia.