A CONTROVERSIAL health department tender for a company to provide “chronic mental health services” and “community based rehabilitation services” – at a cost of R100-million a year for three years – has sparked fury in Bhisho .
The tender advert states that the service provider stands a chance of having the contract extended five times every three years if services are satisfactory. This could take the contract period to 15 years, during which time the contractor would earn over R1.5-billion.
The tender was advertised on April29 with a closing date of June10. There was a briefing session for interested service providers yesterday .
But health portfolio committee members could not get satisfactory answers as to what the service provider would do as mentally challenged patients receive medication in provincial mental hospitals, as well as food and psychiatric support.
Health MEC Sicelo Gqobana, acting head Mahlubandile Qwase and senior health officials could not provide “satisfactory answers” .
“This issue was brought up because we saw an advert in the papers about the department issuing a R100-million tender which was not clear to us,” said committee chairman ANC MPL Mxolisi Dimaza.
“We see no reason for the department to spend such amount for these services as food and infrastructure are provided for by the department at these institutions.”
The care for chronic non-rehabilitative mental health services was outsourced to a private service provider, according to the department.
“We do not have the capacity to absorb the numbers,” senior health official Dr Litha Matiwane said.
“As the committee is aware, we have huge overcrowding, which is a challenge. We have gone out to tender before and it was withdrawn.
“However, treasury informed us that we need to finalise the process .”
But that was not the answer Dimaza’s committee was looking for.
“Maybe it would be good for the department to write a report to the committee with full details as to what this R100-million a year is going to do exactly. We want to know exactly how it is going to be used.
“ For those who are there, what is it that they were supposed to be doing and what it is they are not doing?
“The responses you are giving are too short for R100-million per annum . They are fine for R10000 per annum , but not for R100-million ,” an agitated Dimaza said.
The committee gave the department until Tuesday to come up with a full report explaining the need for the tender . —
Bhisho fury over R300m tender
The tender advert states that the service provider stands a chance of having the contract extended five times every three years if services are satisfactory. This could take the contract period to 15 years, during which time the contractor would earn over R1.5-billion.
The tender was advertised on April29 with a closing date of June10. There was a briefing session for interested service providers yesterday .
But health portfolio committee members could not get satisfactory answers as to what the service provider would do as mentally challenged patients receive medication in provincial mental hospitals, as well as food and psychiatric support.
Health MEC Sicelo Gqobana, acting head Mahlubandile Qwase and senior health officials could not provide “satisfactory answers” .
“This issue was brought up because we saw an advert in the papers about the department issuing a R100-million tender which was not clear to us,” said committee chairman ANC MPL Mxolisi Dimaza.
“We see no reason for the department to spend such amount for these services as food and infrastructure are provided for by the department at these institutions.”
The care for chronic non-rehabilitative mental health services was outsourced to a private service provider, according to the department.
“We do not have the capacity to absorb the numbers,” senior health official Dr Litha Matiwane said.
“As the committee is aware, we have huge overcrowding, which is a challenge. We have gone out to tender before and it was withdrawn.
“However, treasury informed us that we need to finalise the process .”
But that was not the answer Dimaza’s committee was looking for.
“Maybe it would be good for the department to write a report to the committee with full details as to what this R100-million a year is going to do exactly. We want to know exactly how it is going to be used.
“ For those who are there, what is it that they were supposed to be doing and what it is they are not doing?
“The responses you are giving are too short for R100-million per annum . They are fine for R10000 per annum , but not for R100-million ,” an agitated Dimaza said.
The committee gave the department until Tuesday to come up with a full report explaining the need for the tender . —
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