DSI asked to look into purchase of glucose measuring devices
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The Rural Doctors Society Thursday submitted a complaint to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) demanding it look into the Public Health Ministry's Bt147-million purchase of portable devices to measure blood-glucose levels.
The society is also questioning the cost of test strips that will be used to read blood-glucose measurements with the device.
According to the society’s president Dr Kriangsak Watcharanukulkiat, the median price quoted for these test strips was Bt11, even though the market price stands at between Bt5 and Bt11.
Earlier this year, the ministry instructed 7,256 sub-districts to purchase 81,685 devices at a total cost of a little over Bt147-million, which means each device was priced at about Bt1,800.
The society has also asked the DSI to look into why the ministry let health volunteers use this equipment.
“There is no regulation allowing health volunteers to draw blood from patients as they are not certified medical workers,” Kriangsak said.
Kriangsak went on to say that DSI chief Tarit Pengdith had agreed to launch an inquiry into the issue next week.
“We will provide information about the irregularities next week,” Kriangsak said.
