Disposable syringes' procurement: LHC suspends ISO 10993 compliant condition for bidding

The Lahore High Court has suspended a condition of being ISO 10993 compliant for the companies intended to participate in bidding for the procurement of auto-disable or disposable syringes and also restrained the Punjab government from opening the bid till further order. The court also allowed the petitioner company Amson Vaccines & Pharma Ltd to submit its bid.
The court sought replies from the provincial govt and the department of specialised healthcare and medical education by February 8.
Raheel Kamran Sheikh Advocate argued on behalf of the petitioner that department of specialised healthcare and medical education imposed the impugned condition of being ISO 10993 certified in the bidding requirement for the procurement of auto-disable and disposable syringes after the invitation for the bid was published.
The counsel said the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan Act 2012 did not carry the impugned condition inserted by the respondent department after the initiation of bidding process. He argued that the impugned condition was manifestly as arbitrary, absurd and unreasonable as all other procuring agencies including UNICEF, ministry of national health services and directorate of general health services Sindh opted not to impose the same and recently made the procurement without the impugned condition.
He pointed out that the petitioner-company had been given the orders to supply its auto-disable and disposable syringes to UNICEF and the federal government of Pakistan without the impugned condition.