translated from Spanish: UN to start drug tender for Mexico next week

The Government of Mexico on Friday signed an agreement with the United Nations for the consolidated purchase of medicines, vaccines and medical equipment.
With this agreement, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) will be responsible for international tendering, defining procurement, procurement and delivering the medicines to the Mexican government through the Institute of Health for Welfare (Insabi).
Read: The alarming fake drug business growing from the covid-19 pandemic
The press conference, Chancellor Marcelo Ebrard, stressed that for the first time in the country’s history, international public purchases will be available aided by the UN, which emerged, he said, as an initiative of President Andrés López Obrador to combat the corruption that prevailed in the purchase of drugs.
Fernando Cotrim Barbieri, representative of UNOPS, explained that this agreement may even launch not only a tender for one drug, but two or more and even be able to negotiate with tenderers.
Health Secretary Jorge Alcocer said that the domestic industry is not excluded from participating in the international tendering processes under this new convention.
“However, only those that meet the high levels of quality and honesty required by these bodies and us can be considered,” Alcocer said.
“We have resources” 
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador assured that the federal government is ready to give the resources in advance to the United Nations Office for the consolidated purchase of medical supplies.
“We have the resources and because we are very trusted organizations, we are willing to deliver by advancing the money that is required,” he said.
The representative asked UNOPS to begin the bidding process next week, so that Mexico could have medicines, vaccines and medical equipment as soon as possible.
“The drugs have always been lacking, as the extent of distributing adulterated drugs that has caused even the deaths of people has been lacking, and there is evidence that corruption has prevailed in everything to do with the purchase of drugs, those extremes have been reached, they are stolen to the money from medicines,” he said.
Chancellor Marcelo Ebrard commented that the 3,646 keys included in the convention are likely to represent the largest UN-held tender for a country.
He noted that an investment of $6.8 billion is expected in this operation.
Yesterday, the president announced that David León will leave the National Civil Protection Coordination to serve as the new manager of the distributor of medicines, vaccines and medical equipment that will form the federal government.
On July 29, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate endorsed the reform of the Law on Procurement, Leasing and Public Sector Services authorizing the government to make direct purchases of medicines and medical supplies abroad, including the COVID-19 vaccine.
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Original source in Spanish