Tenders Are Invited For Total Laboratory Automation System

Total Laboratory Automation System - Notice Is Hereby Given That Vancouver Coastal Health Authority (“Vcha”) (The “Health Authority”), Through Their Collective Agent Provincial Health Services Authority (“Phsa”), Intends To Directly Award A Contract To The Following Supplier To Provide One (1) Total Laboratory Automation Solution (Virtuo Blood Culture, Vitek Ii And Copan/Wasp Lab Configuration And Assembly) For Vancouver General Hospital For A Term Of Five (5) Years At An Estimated Value Of $4.2 Million. Biomerieux Canada Inc. 7815 Henri-Bourassa West St-Laurent, Quebec H4s 1P7 In Accordance With Applicable Trade Agreements, Phsa, As Agent For The Health Authority Has Chosen Not To Proceed With A Competitive Process For The Following Reason The Goods Or Services Can Be Supplied Only By The Selected Supplier And No Alternative Or Substitute Exists For The Following Reason: (A) Due To An Absence Of Competition For Technical Reasons The Vancouver General Hospital (Vgh) Medical Microbiology Laboratory Performs Most Of Its Bacteriology By Manual Methods When Compared To The Rest Of Laboratory Services Where Automation Has Become Integrated Into Most Workflows. In The Microbiology Laboratory A Majority Of Specimens Are Still Hand Plated (Streaked) And Gram Stained Performed Manually; Culture Plates Are Individually Read And Handle By A Single Technologist Who Performs The Growth Analysis, Critical Interpretation, And Data Input, Which Is Taking Place Over A Series Of Days. This Includes Culture That Are Both Positive And Negative Requiring A Considerable Of Amount Of Hands On Time For Every Specimen. The Current Acute Shortage In The Availability Of Lab Professionals Dictates A Move To Further Automated Practices In Order To Maintain Test Menu And Address Increasing Volumes. Currently, The Microbiology Laboratory Is Already Using The Front-End Processor Of The Wasplab System, Which Provides Automated Mechanical Plating Of Specimens. At This Time, This Automated Processor, Wasp, Is Cardinal To Laboratory Operation And Redundancy Is Required In The System. Connecting The Wasp To A Wasplab Would Allow A Workflow Where A Bi-Directional Process Assigns The Specimens To The Appropriate Incubators/Imagers For Incubation And Colony Monitoring, The Remaining Microbiology (Bacteriology) Laboratory Workflows And Processes (Plate Manipulation, Identification And Sensitivities, Etc.) This Would Allow The Laboratory To Increase Its Productivity As The Volume Of Specimens Continues To Increase And The Staffing Shortage Crisis Is Not Resolved. After Careful Review And Consideration, The Laboratory Concluded That They Require A Fully Automated Solution That Must Also Include The Automation Of Blood Culture Instruments With Automated Loading And Discarding. Only Biomerieux Can Provide This Type Of Instrument. Vendors Who Wish To Challenge This Decision Should Submit A Detailed Written Objection For The Attention Of Tulip Nunez, Buyer, Sourcing, By Email Before 2:00Pm Pacific Time, September 21St, 2022. Phsa Will Review Any And All Issues Received By This Date And Provide Due Consideration To Each Objection. Please Reference File: # Phsa 9606 On All Written Correspondence.