Security at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital to cost R6 million per month until 2027

Security services at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital will total over R70 million per year for the next three years.

A three-year contract was signed at the beginning of this financial year, with the cost of the deal revealed in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature this week.   

Gauteng MEC for Health Nomanto Nkomo-Ralehoko backed the expenditure, stating that the security provided was good value for money.

R217.3 million for 263 guards

The department signed off on the three-year R217.3 million deal, doubling the annual cost of security from the 2021 figure.

The contract is for the physical guarding services provided by 263 guards at the hospital. The cost per guard works out to a few cents over R22,955 per month.

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Democratic Alliance (DA) Shadow MEC for Health Jack Bloom called the figures “exorbitant” and said the party wanted a review of the contract.

“The need is so great at that hospital. There is currently a freeze on new staff posts and new equipment because of budget cuts,” Bloom explained to The Citizen.

“[If this] was purely an inflation increase on the last contract, they would have more than R25 million to spend on treatment for patients, which would really help,” he continued.

Theft down at Charlotte Maxeke

The company that was awarded the multi-million rand contract, Vimba Security Services, was previously in charge of George Mukhari Hospital in 2014 and 2015.

Nkomo-Ralehoko’s reply stated that no serious security incidents had been reported since the security company began work last year.

The MEC stated that theft cases were down and that an undisclosed number of alleged theft suspects had been carried out in the last six months.

“The level of competence is acceptable. The current security service therefore adds value towards patient care and it is worth the money that is paid by the institution,” stated Nkomo-Ralehoko.

“While thefts need to be halted, and staff and patients protected, this looks like a rip-off contract that diverts money that should be used to improve patient care,” Bloom retorted.

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