Islamic Minister Ahmed Zahir says the government had chosen the private lab Mediflex instead of the state-run hospital IGMH to do the PCR tests for the Hajj Pilgrims because the private lab had given cheaper rates for the tests.
He said this in his written answer to questions asked by the MP for Maafannu Medhu Constituency Ibrahim Rasheed regarding the price of the PCR tests and where they were done.
In his answer, the Minister said that the Hajj Corporation had found a suitable candidate to conduct PCR tests for those who went on Pilgrimage under its authority according to the Corporation's procurement policy and by making a public announcement.
He said that Mediflex lab had offered the cheapest rates out of those who had answered the announcement. He further said that the private lab had offered to charge MVR 200 per person while IGMH said that it would charge MVR 700 per person.
The Minister further said that the Hajj Corporation had also approached the Police to do the PCR tests but detailed that Police did not have the required chemicals to conduct the tests and subsequent attempts to find the chemical via the Health Protection Agency also failed.
MP Ibrahim had also asked about the support staff taken on the pilgrimage and inquired whether any individuals were favored above others.
In his reply, the Minister said that the support staff was hired according to Hajj Corporation's HR policy after it was publically announced. He said that the Corporation had interviewed those who answered the announcement and hired those who scored the highest.
He added that only one staff from the Ministry was hired as a support staff on its insistence.
