2023-11-18 13:03:08
Published18. November 2023, 2:03 p.m.
Health in Luxembourg: The president of the LNS entangled in a conflict of interest?
LUXEMBOURG – The LNS, whose chair of the board of directors is Evelin Schröck, purchased in 2021 the demo version of software offered by the company GePaDo, whose general director is… Evelin Schröck.
lns.lu
A dual function that raises questions. Evelin Schröck, chairwoman of the board of directors of the National Health Laboratory (LNS), is also the managing director of “GePaDo – Softwarelösungen für Genetik – GmbH”. This German company specializes in the development and marketing of software for practices and laboratories in the field of genetics.
Is there a risk of conflict of interest? In a parliamentary response, the now ex-Minister of Health Paulette Lenert notes that Evelin Schröck, also head of the genetics department of the LNS (National Genetics Center), declared her activity within GePaDo “in complete transparency”, to the board of directors.
GePaDo software in first position
Before admitting that the LNS purchased a demo version of the GePaDo software in 2021 for 17,000 euros. “The objective at the time was to evaluate the capabilities of this software in the diagnostic work of the National Genetics Center,” says Paulette Lenert. However, to date, no final decision has been taken and no software has yet been put into current production.
In spring 2023, the LNS decided to look for a definitive software solution for genetic counseling, continues the ex-minister. A call for tenders comprising at least three applications has been launched. “The LNS also received three offers. The in-depth evaluation of the medical, technical and financial aspects led to a ranking of the different solutions, where the GePaDo software was placed in first position,” recognizes Paulette Lenert, who emphasizes, however, that this offer was not accepted.
Another case of conflict of interest at the LNS
“This offer was below the public procurement threshold (Editor’s note: thresholds in public procurement represent the amount below which public bodies can award contracts without being subject to the same procedural requirements), but if we count the offer of 2023 with the purchase of 2021 and the maintenance costs, the threshold has been exceeded,” notes the elected socialist. She explains that the LNS is therefore preparing a public call for tenders for “genetic counseling” software, which should be published “before the end of the year”. Contacted this Friday morning, the LNS indicates to The essential having “nothing to add” in relation to the response of the ex-minister.
At the same time, Paulette Lenert confirmed last week in a parliamentary response that an external consultant from the LNS had been involved in a conflict of interest, as part of a call for tenders for IT assistance, following the revelations of Reporter.lu. This consultant had thus participated in 2019 in the drafting of a public call for tenders from the National Health Laboratory (LNS) and had at the same time helped the company Abakus to develop its offer for the public market, so that it had finally won the order worth 800,000 euros.
A “structured control” once a year
In 2023, this same consultant once once more supported the LNS as part of the renewal of this public contract. But on July 26, a journalist from Reporter.lu reported a potential conflict of interest. Following this, the LNS launched an internal investigation, which revealed that this consultant had collaborated in the finalization of the company’s offer in question for the 2019 public market.
As the LNS did not have this information at the time of submitting the new contract, this company might not be excluded from the 2023 call for tenders. The consultant in question should have made his contacts known from the outset with this company, adds the Minister of Health, who emphasizes that following evaluation of all the offers, the public contract was not awarded to Abakus. For his part, the consultant declared in writing that he had not transmitted any internal and confidential information which might have influenced the company’s offers.
In any case, the LNS ensures that it carries out a “structured control” once a year on possible conflicts of interest.
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