Times Of Swaziland: GOVT AWARDS COVID-19 PROTECTIVE GEAR TENDERS ...

GOVT AWARDS COVID-19 PROTECTIVE GEAR TENDERS ...
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Stanley Khumalo on 23/03/2020 08:42:00


MANZINI – The fate of emaSwati now lies in the hands of government suppliers
to provide protective gear for nurses, who for a week now, have been on a
go-slow.
The nurses in the various big hospitals have refused to attend to patients due
to lack of adequate personal protective equipment. The medical practitioners
said without protective gear, every bedside visit could prove fatal, especially
for older nurses and their families. This happened at a time when a request for
a supplementary budget had been tabled by the Senator Lizzie Nkosi-led Ministry
of Health of E100 million.
Challenges
This money was requested to assist government procure the essential protective
gear which include face masks, protective wear, fever screening system, advanced
ambulances and temporary toilets, among others. Now that government’s wish has
been approved by legislators, the fate of the citizenry lies with the suppliers
who were awarded an opportunity to supply the much needed commodities. However,
the biggest challenge lies in the fact that most of these commodities were now
in high demand and some countries have banned their exports. According to the
Director of Health Services, Dr Vusi Magagula, government now has the money and
the onus was on the suppliers awarded the opportunity to procure the commodities
on behalf of government.
Dr Magagula said the supplies were needed as soon as possible given that they
were marked as an emergency procurement. He said government had followed
procedure and sought expression of interest from tenderers to supply the
essential items aimed at containing the spread of the coronavirus. “The money
is there; now the issue would be where the suppliers will source the items.
However, we know that when they responded to the expression of interest, they
were aware of where they would get the goods,” he said. Dr Magagula said the
companies that were awarded the tenders had been evaluated before being given a
nod as this was aimed at making sure who those who were awarded would be capable
of delivering.