Eindhoven – The hearing will not take place in the United States at which Phillips will explain the huge contract for respiratory equipment on Wednesday. A Philips spokesman said so.
“We are waiting to see the date of the session,” the spokesman said. In addition to Phillips CEO Vitor Rocha in the US, Trade Counselor Peter Navarro to President Donald Trump was summoned to the hearing. He will not testify. The reason given is that the president’s advisers do not testify in Congress.
Democrats on a US House of Representatives committee accuse the Trump administration of buying expensive Philips devices to treat coronavirus patients. In a political dispute between Democrats and Republicans on the eve of the election, the United States was said to have paid up to half a billion dollars too much. Phillips contradicts that.
The case centers on the delivery of 43,000 devices that were ordered by the United States after the outbreak of the pandemic. Earlier this month, the US Department of Health largely withdrew the order: An order for 30,000 devices yet to be delivered was withdrawn. The remainder of the order was also pulled from Hamilton Medical and Vyaire Medical – two other of the 10 contracted suppliers in total.
Phillips is still in talks with the United States Department about a contract settlement. The healthcare technology group wants a contribution to the costs.
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