Mamabolo directs Gauteng health to resolve outstanding contracts and explore insourcing

Acting health MEC in Gauteng, Jacob Mamabolo, has directed the provincial health department to resolve outstanding contracts that are extended on a month-to-month basis and explore insourcing where possible.

“Some of the contracts have been due for over four years. Extending these contracts on a month-to-month basis for such a long time is unacceptable. The management of the department has to get this situation resolved as a matter of urgency,” Mamabolo said in a statement on Tuesday.

According to the department, eight contracts were due for renewal and were currently being renewed month-to-month while a process to re-advertise the tenders was underway.

“These include waste management, security services and recovery of self-paying debtors and patient identification and verification contracts,” its spokesperson, Kwara Kekana, said.

The department is in the process of re-advertising the tender for waste management.

In addition, the process to advertise tenders is underway with respect to security services, patient identification and verification as well as the recovery of self-paying debtors.

The contract for the management of injury on duty claims is also currently on a month-to-month basis pending the finalisation of the participation of the Free State government tender process.

Mamabolo reiterated the importance of finalising these processes.

“The security contracts for our hospitals and clinics are critical in ensuring the safety of our patients and employees while the removal and management of medical waste is of paramount importance, hence the need to get certainty around these contracts,” he said.