Malaysia procurement procedure / Pakistan pharmaceutical sector / Corruption and health care

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Malaysia lawmakers debate hot issue of 'direct negotiations', previously a byword for graft.  “The term "direct negotiations" in Malaysia usually involves a government ministry or department awarding a project directly to a pre-selected contractor or supplier, instead of calling for an open tender…[The Finance Minister] clarified that direct negotiations are allowed under certain conditions with approval from the Finance Ministry…[but his statement] was quickly drowned out by [MPs]…who said the previous government had said it would stop all direct negotiations.”

The Straits Times: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/malaysia-lawmakers-debate-hot-issue-of-direct-negotiations-previously-a-byword-for   

 

Pakistan’s pharmaceutical sector: issues of pricing, procurement and the quality of medicines (Working Paper).  “This paper investigates private corruption in the pharmaceutical sector – understood as the capture of rents – as a possible factor harming development…For each of these issues the authors have examined the processes over time that have resulted in the creation of rents and that encourage rent-seeking.”

Kabeer Dawani and Asad Sayeed/Anti-Corruption Evidence SOAS Consortium: https://ace.soas.ac.uk/publication/pakistans-pharmaceutical-sector/   

 

The influence of corruption and governance in the delivery of frontline health care services in the public sector: a scoping review of current and future prospects in low and middle-income countries of south and south-east Asia (Journal Article).  “The dynamic intersection of a pluralistic health system, large informal sector, and poor regulatory environment have provided conditions favourable for ‘corruption’ in the [Lower Middle Income Countries] of south and south-east Asia region. ‘Corruption’ works to undermine the [Universal Health Coverage] goals of achieving equity, quality, and responsiveness including financial protection, especially while delivering frontline health care services.”

Naher et al./BMC Public Health: https://ace.soas.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/s12889-020-08975-0.pdf

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