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Uruguay health service tender attracts 17 bidders amid controversy
🇺🇾 Uruguay /Health & Science

Uruguay health service tender attracts 17 bidders amid controversy

From El País · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Seventeen companies, including a ride-hailing app, taxis, ambulances, and limousines, have submitted bids for a public health services tender in Uruguay.
  • The tender, for non-medical patient transport in Montevideo, the metropolitan area, and Canelones, aims to cover up to 150,000 kilometers annually.
  • The bidding process has sparked controversy due to a pilot program using taxis for transport during the tender, leading to administrative appeals and requests for information.

The Uruguayan public health system, ASSE, is facing scrutiny over its tender for non-medical patient transport services. While ASSE President Álvaro Danza defends the process, stating there's no "mystery" and that direct purchases of taxi services are standard practice, concerns linger.

There is no mystery or anything strange. There is no agreement signed with the Gremial Única del Taxi of any kind, color, or draft.

— Álvaro DanzaPresident of ASSE, addressing concerns about potential collusion in the taxi service tender.

Seventeen companies, ranging from the ride-hailing app Cabify to traditional taxi and ambulance services, have submitted bids. This broad participation highlights the demand for such services, but also the potential for conflict when established players compete with newer models or when pilot programs seem to pre-empt the official bidding outcome.

We are paying 13.6 times less.

— Álvaro DanzaReferring to cost savings potentially achieved through direct taxi service purchases.

The controversy centers on ASSE's "pilot plan" to contract taxi services during the tender period, with some taxi companies themselves being bidders. This has led to administrative appeals from ambulance firms and calls for parliamentary inquiries. ASSE's decision to lift the suspensive effect of these appeals, citing the risk of an "operational vacuum" and harm to "vulnerable users," has further intensified the debate.

We are paying 13.6 times less

— Álvaro DanzaPresident of ASSE, justifying direct purchases of taxi services.

From a local perspective in Uruguay, this situation reflects ongoing tensions between public service provision, market competition, and regulatory oversight. The involvement of a ride-hailing app like Cabify alongside traditional services underscores the evolving landscape of transportation. The public's trust in ASSE, a critical institution serving 1.5 million users, is paramount, and transparency in such tenders is essential to maintain it. The debate is not just about logistics but about the efficient and equitable use of public funds in healthcare.

There is no mystery or anything strange. There is no agreement signed with the Gremial Única del Taxi of any kind, color, or draft.

— Álvaro DanzaPresident of ASSE, denying any impropriety in the tender process.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El País in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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