The Punjab Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA), which oversees public tenders in the province, has ordered an independent inquiry into how the Institute of Blood Transfusion Services (IBTS) Punjab evaluated bids for CLIA kits—laboratory tests that measure substances in blood—and fully automated analyzers. In an order dated 26 October 2026, the authority sent the case to the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department after Roche Pakistan Limited challenged the process and raised claims of irregularities, including that refurbished machines may have been supplied and installed.
What the tender covered
The disputed purchase was for CLIA kits together with fully automated, brand-new, latest-model analyzers on a reagent-rental basis for ten blood transfusion units in the financial year 2026–27. After technical evaluation, Roche Pakistan was declared non-responsive. Abbott Laboratories Pakistan Limited was left as the only technically qualified bidder.
Roche had supplied these testing solutions to IBTS for the previous four years, and its contract was extended while the new procurement was still under way. That background has sharpened questions about how competition narrowed to a single qualified firm.
Why PPRA stepped in
Acting on Roche’s representation, PPRA said the bidding documents used ambiguous and subjective technical wording, which can leave room for arbitrary judgments and weaken fair competition. It stressed that specifications for public buys should be clear, precise and based on criteria that can be checked objectively.
Roche alleged that analyzers supplied and installed by the successful bidder were refurbished rather than brand-new, despite the tender’s demand for new latest-model machines. PPRA said those claims need factual checks—including the equipment’s condition, age, import history, installation records and technical specifications—rather than being treated as settled.
What the inquiry must do
The authority referred the file to the Secretary of the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department, Punjab, and advised forming an independent inquiry committee with representatives of the administrative department and skilled technical experts. The focus is whether refurbished machinery was supplied or installed, and whether the evaluation met transparency and competition standards for diagnostic tools tied to blood transfusion safety.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- Preceding four years: Roche Pakistan supplied CLIA testing solutions to IBTS Punjab.
- During the live tender: Roche’s supply contract was extended while the new procurement remained pending.
- Technical evaluation (FY 2026–27 tender): Roche was ruled technically non-responsive; only Abbott Laboratories Pakistan Limited was technically qualified for CLIA kits and analyzers at ten blood transfusion units.
- 26 October 2026: PPRA ordered the matter referred to the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department for an independent inquiry into the evaluation and refurbished-machinery allegations.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Punjab ki kharidari authority ne blood testing ke machines aur kits ke tender par alag se investigation ka hukum diya hai. Roche company kehti hai ke evaluation ghalat thi aur machines purani ho sakti hain; abhi yeh baat saabit nahi hui. Sirf ek company technical tor par qualify hui thi. Inquiry se pata chale ga ke qawaid follow hue ya nahi—yeh blood safety se linked ahem samaan hai.
