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People with Disabilities Complain about Law Quality Wheelchairs

January 9, 2014
 
Maka Malakmadze, Adjara

People with disabilities complain about the quality of wheelchairs. Representatives of Healthcare Ministry of Adjara Autonomous Republic state the company, which requested least funds for the import of wheelchairs, won the tender. 

Nongovernmental organization People with Disabilities was established in Batumi several months ago. Its director Tamaz Mzhavanadze said their beneficiaries have already applied them with the complaints about wheelchairs. “Based on their applications, we studied the qualities of wheelchairs. Although the wheelchairs have 1 year guarantee, they go wrong within one month.”

Amiran Shainidze has been using wheelchairs purchased by the Adjara Healthcare Ministry for several years already and complains about its quality. “They are made of very thin material and are easily breakable. Their wheels break very often. I permanently have to mend them. I usually look for alternative chairs and if somebody dies, who used wheelchair, I borrow it from them. Sometimes I purchase chairs with my money.” 

Adjara Healthcare Ministry announced tender for the purchase of wheelchair for the people with disabilities on April 22, 2013. The ministry allocated 300 000 lari for the purchase of 100 wheelchairs. Five companies participated in the tender. Both on the initial stage and after three rounds of bargain, Ltd Tbilisi Medic offered the least budget and the company provided the Ministry with wheelchair for 174, 90 lari. It was almost half of the initial tender price.

Human Rights Center got in touch with Ltd Tbilisi Medic. Its director Levan Nadirashvili said the tender was not profitable. “They were produced in Turkey. The tender was not profitable for us but we participated in it. Next time, we will not offer such a low price.” Chief Specialist at the department for state purchases of the Healthcare Ministry Khatuna Kochadze said the Ministry cannot guarantee the quality of the wheelchairs. “The company, which offered the least price, won the tender. As for the quality, according to the agreement, wheelchairs have 2 years guarantees. If wheelchairs have any defect, they can send us letters but it did not happen so far.”

Nongovernmental organization for People with Disabilities offered the Ministry to give 300 lari vouchers instead wheelchairs. Thus they will be able to personally purchase the wheelchairs. Representatives of the Ministry said the decision about this issue was not made so far. 

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