The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted lives globally, shaking social and economic systems. While the health emergency slowed economies and caused job losses, it also created lucrative business opportunities for pharmaceutical and medical goods providers. In Nepal, these opportunities exposed significant corruption in the procurement of medical supplies for the government’s pandemic response. This research investigates allegations of corruption in Nepal’s procurement of COVID-19 test kits, focusing on collusion between government officials and supplier companies. The "supplier factor" refers to the selection of Nepali companies as suppliers of antibody rapid diagnostic test (RDT) kits sourced from Chinese manufacturers, despite concerns over their efficiency. Emergency procurement processes bypassed standard rules, allowing faulty, overpriced RDT kits from Chinese manufacturers to be sold by local suppliers. Many of these kits remained unused due to poor quality. The entry of Chinese manufacturers and Nepali suppliers highlighted flaws in procurement procedures during the pandemic. To address corruption, Nepal must enforce a transparent and fair procurement policy. Future research should explore the procurement of other medical supplies, such as PPE, masks, ventilators, ICU beds, and vaccines.