By Prior Beharry
MINISTER of Health has categorically denied any affiliation with VARY Medical and Scientific Company.
The company was listed to have officers on Frederick Street in Port-of-Spain in a letter by a Hong Kong business call Sky Quest which wants to supply Trinidad and Tobago with Covid-19 vaccines.
A letter, dated February 22, 2021, by Sky Quest has been shared on social media and is addressed to the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Health.
It stated that it has authorised VARY Medical and Scientific Company to submit a bid in relation to the supply of AstraZeneca/Covidshield vaccines for T&T and the CARICOM region.
In a release on Monday, Deyalsingh strongly condemned “the erroneous allegations in the public domain.”
The release stated:
- There is NO affiliation between the Terrence Deyalsingh, Minister of Health or anyone in his family and VARY Medical and Scientific Company.
- There is NO affiliation between Deyalsingh, Minister of Health or anyone in his family and any other Covid-19 vaccine and/or pharmaceutical manufacturer and/or distributor.
- VARY Medical and Scientific Company does not share a business address with any organisation linked to the Minister of Health or his family.
- VARY Medical and Scientific Company did write to the Minister of Health, the Secretary of Health, Wellness and Family Development at the Tobago House of Assembly, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and the Chief Medical Officer offering Covid-19 Vaccines to Trinidad and Tobago for purchase.
- The local authorised distributor for AstraZeneca and AstraZeneca themselves confirmed that VARY Medical and Scientific Company is not authorised to offer Covid-19 vaccines for sale, on behalf of AstraZeneca.
- There is no contractual arrangement between the Ministry of Health and VARY Medical and Scientific Company for the purchase of Covid-9 vaccines, nor is any such arrangement being contemplated.
It release stated that Deyalsingh has also engaged his attorneys who are pursuing legal action against social media activists Suzette Lowe and Marcia Braveboy.
The release stated, “Persons are asked to refrain from sharing misinformation, which could derail the efforts of the Government of T&T to secure authentic, WHO-approved Covid-19 vaccines for the population in the shortest timeframe.”
