National Drug Agency faces dispute over urine testing contract

The National Drug Agency (NDA) is currently engaged in a dispute with its contractor responsible for testing urine samples submitted by the police, according to Deputy Home Minister Mohamed Rashid, who oversees the agency.

Rashid stated that the contractor has not been fulfilling the terms of the agreement, creating challenges for obtaining test results. These delays have caused difficulties in processing the second sample required for investigations.

“We are experiencing problems because the contractor is not adhering to the agreement,” Rashid said.

Efforts are underway to resolve the issue through discussions with the contractor. A meeting between the NDA and the contractor is scheduled to take place today. Rashid mentioned that various deadlines would be discussed during the meeting as part of a procurement-related selection process.

“There are limited laboratories in the Maldives capable of conducting such tests, making it challenging to change contractors,” he added.

The exact number of pending samples remains unclear, but Rashid acknowledged that delays in receiving results have slowed ongoing investigations.

Details about the contractor in question have not been disclosed.