Ministry waiver to purchase medical supplies

MBABANE – The Ministry of Health has been given a waiver to purchase medical supplies required to save patients in public hospitals and clinics.

The waiver was awarded by the Eswatini Public Procurement Agency (ESPPRA), which has been reviewing widespread concerns over the tender to procure the supplies.

Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health Khanya Mabuza, confirmed the development and said this implies that the ministry will go back to the tender Board, where they will be asked to list the suppliers that have these goods locally.

He said it is possible that there are some suppliers who have the sought medical supplies.

“But for now, we will not commit, save for that we will merely look into our database and see those who may have the goods,” he said.

The ESPPRA Chief Executive Officer Vusi Matsebula said on Friday that a response to the concerns had been referred to the Ministry of Health.

“The ESPPRA Committee has referred the matter to the ministry. You can get clarity from there,” he said, responding to questions that had been posed by this newspaper.

Three weeks ago, the ESPPRA halted the awarding of critical health tenders, with a combined value of over E570 million.

The regulator directed the ministry to suspend the procurement of drugs, medical supplies, ICU and renal equipment, blood transfusion commodities and laboratory supplies, following fresh complaints lodged by some suppliers.

The two tenders in question, Tender No. 104 and Tender No. 105 for the 2025/26 financial year, were designed to urgently fill gaps in the country’s medical supply chain. Their value was estimated at E350 million and E220 million respectively. In total, the value of tenders pending is about E1 billion.

This newspaper documented as many as 19 complaints lodged by medical suppliers, decrying unfairness in the issuance of the tenders. The suppliers requested for review under Sections 45 and 47 of the Procurement Act, which gives suppliers the right to lodge concerns if they deem fit.

Some suppliers are not happy that some medical supply tenders were awarded to South African companies.

They said while all suppliers, local and foreign, are allowed to qualify for Tender No l and 2 of 2025/26 for the supply and delivery of medical supplies, dressings and sutures, it gathered that two other tenders, Tender 104 and Tender 105, were only issued to South African companies.

*…

Suppliers banking on ESPPRA to resolve E1bn tender issue

MBABANE – Medical suppliers are banking on the Eswatini Public Procurement Agency (ESPPRA) to resolve the concerns over the Health tenders worth E1 billion.

At least 27 medical suppliers submitted 19 objections to two government tenders.

Some of the concerns are fresh allegations of bias and corruption. They are an appeal to the ESPPRA to speedily resolve the impasse.

Sandile Dlamini, the Chief Executive Officer of Top EMS said they have not lost hope that government would heed their concerns, despite that the deadline for the resolution has elapsed.

Dlamini said he had gathered from the media that the ESPPRA had promised to come back with a solution by August 22, after investigating their concerns. “Nothing has come up to us and we are still waiting for communication. They had promised to send us updates through an email, but we have received nothing, for now.”

Dlamini said, given that the concern touches on the health sector, he is expecting a speedy resolution. Chiefly, the concern by Top EMS was that they had been unfairly left out of the tender award. “That is still our main concern. You will recall that during procurement of medical supplies, taxpayers’ money is used, which then brings to mind the fairness or lack thereof.

 “If government sets to purchase 10 Panado tablets with the budget it has, then it must stick to that. Top EMS has been serving the public for a long time now and our responsibility is to serve the public.”

He said he will wait for a resolution of the issue at EMS before making an informed comment on how the company will suffer, should the decision to keep it out of the suppliers’ pool be upheld. In a letter sent to the ESPPRA about three weeks ago, Top EMS decried that it devoted considerable financial and human resources to prepare its tender submission in full compliance with the stated requirements. 

“Disqualifying us on unclear grounds undermines our efforts and our longstanding relationship with the ministry, during which we have consistently delivered even when payments were delayed.”

*Full article available in our publication.