PAMI Took Over a Year to Process the Purchase of Crutches and Wheelchairs for Their Affiliates
<p><span style="line-height: 1.6em;">The National Audit assessed the benefits of physiotherapy and the provision of items granted by the Institute of Social Services for Pensioners. "Significant delays" were detected in the administrative process for the acquisition of crutches, canes, walkers, and wheelchairs. In addition, providers who had failed with previous deliveries were hired.</span></p> <div> </div>
The National Institute of Social Services for Pensioners (INSSJyP – PAMI, for its acronym in Spanish) is responsible for granting members of the National System of Welfare, health and social services aimed at the promotion, prevention, protection, recovery, and rehabilitation of health.
The General Audit’s Office (AGN, for its acronym in Spanish) observed that the procedures for purchasing crutches, canes, and walkers, to meet the demand of the second half of 2008 and first half of 2009, delayed 1 year and 3 months (between the opening of the performance of public notice to the issuance of the purchase order). Similarly, another contracting with "significant delay" was made for the purchase of wheelchairs, which took a year.
The report, approved this year on data from July 2008 through October 2009, also found that the amount for renting wheelchairs "underwent successive extensions", meaning an increase of 84% of the original value of $8,282,910. About this increase, the AGN stated "standard contracts were not followed" because they "do not allow extensions that exceed 35%."
As if this were not enough, the agency adds that "an extension was granted to a supplier who had not complied with the delivery of the initial order”. Something similar happened with the purchase of Orthopedic Beds, in which "the award is made to a provider who had a history of failed deliveries in a previous contract."
The auditors noted that in the period under analysis, "the Audit Unit Providers did not perform checks on providers that bestow services to Local Management Units (LGUs) of PAMI nationwide (those branches where the affiliates are attending), except for the City of Buenos Aires VI and XIII of UGL of Formosa.
In addition, there were shortcomings in the provision of circuit elements physiatrist: "Most of the application forms by the date and affiliates have no missing data delivery orders," the AGN stated, among other observations.
Finally, the report explains that several irregularities were found in the records of those affiliates who had already used their authorized sessions but needed to continue treatment. “The reasons as to why it is handled as an exception are not included, in most cases the signature of the doctor, or the signature of the patients after every session, nor are the patients records available as though to check on the results of the sessions”.
