The Department of Health of the Eastern Cape has suspended its order for one hundred motorcycles with cell sidecar clinics for use in rural areas of the province.
Siyanda Manana, communications director of the Eastern Cape Department of Health, said that, given “public discomfort,” they delayed issuing an order for motorcycles that still have a contract with Fabkomp, who will manufacture the vehicles.
“The offer-variety committee is re-examining procedures so that, in the course of a challenge, we can rely on a procedure that can address legal scrutiny,” he said.
“We are working with stakeholders and, in particular, the Health Portfolio Committee so that we do not find unusual ground.
The president of the Eastern Cape Legislature Health Committee, Xolile Dimaza, said he was alarmed to suddenly see the acquisition of motorcycles for fitness workers.
“We want to get an annual report and an annual functionality plan. The branch will have to tell us how you will use the cash that has been delivered to you. The bikes were not included in any of their reports. It wasn’t in the functionality plan. They didn’t give us anything to pass, ” he said.
“Then, all of a sudden, the scooters gave the impression on pages 15 and 16 of the MEC’s fitness policy speech.”
“We told them, if it’s not on the annual functionality plan, it’s as smart as if it’s never been written.”
He said they feared that the Eastern Cape Government’s fleet control policy would be made through the Department of Transportation.
“They’re the ones who buy the ambulances and then deliver them. Our was: why did they exclude scooters from fleet management? So far, the Department of Health has never responded to us.
He said the portfolio committee had tracked the Fabkomp plant two weeks ago.
“I told the owner, Brian [Harmse], that you are under oath. You have to tell the truth. It was then learned that the scooters used for the launch were those destined for Kenya. The branch has not yet issued an order.
“I’ll have to make it clear that we’re the number one car altogether. We are fully aware of the geography of the Eastern Cape and the fact that there are roads to which no ambulance or car can go. But we couldn’t give the green light. The scooters had not been budgeted. »
He said he was unaware that the motorcycles had received a special request for the coronavirus pandemic, adding that the Sindiswa Gomba Health MEC told the committee that cars would be gradually installed in the coming years.
However, the 10 million rand for motorcycles was reflected as a “past order” in an acquisition document detailing the Eastern Cape government’s spending on the pandemic. In the description, the branch wrote that they deserved to be used for the study teams. What followed was a chaotic release that caused much confusion, as described through Harmse in a document provided to the portfolio committee.
In a statement issued at the project launch, Health Minister Dr. Zweli Mkhize defended the acquisition of the bikes and said they were not intended to upgrade ambulances, but can only be used as motorcycle clinics, cell control sets and cell drug distribution sets. and also to send patients to the nearest clinic.
“The cost of the ambulance edition is 68,811 rand, as indicated at the launch. There, a unit argued in the media that proposed 17,000 rand. We checked and discovered that someone had taken an image of our online page and used it for 17,000 rand. We found that there is no link to a corporate or online page that can provide the main points of the proposed unit. We assume it’s a scam … »
On Thursday, in reaction to a brief in Parliament, Mkhize said that motorcycles “do not meet the fundamental criteria for transporting patients by ambulance.”
“The main objective of the eastern Cape Ministry of Health’s assignment is to expand to number one medical care and provide chronic medicines in the maximum remote spaces of the Eastern Cape.
“The Ministry of Health of the Nation did not consult on the pre-acquisition manifestations of the scooters. However, the province has been informed that none of these scooters will be used as an ambulance because they do not meet the express needs set out in the EMS. regulations, ” he said.
But Harmse said the branch had never ordered ambulances on motorcycles: he had ordered the clinics and asked him to take the ambulances to launch.
Harmse stated that he had no challenge with the offer of be under consideration.
“We didn’t get any cash and we don’t have an order number,” he said.
“We can’t start producing sets until we’ve obtained an order number. We have other countries applying and it is imaginable that Nigeria will request 68 sets soon and pay in advance. Whoever orders first will get the 85 we have in values. “
He added that the demonstration used in a high-profile launch in east London had been sent to Kenya.
In its report to the Portfolio Committee, he stated that they had won a request from the Ministry of Health on June 9 to have a “window at a post by Friday [12 June]”.
“We never had motorcycles in one position and informed the branch that we had 4 ambulances in a position to move to Kenya finished and our two demonstration games, an ambulance and a clinic. Then they asked us to have those six games on Friday, which we then presented the same day. I think the problem was that there were no transparent commands on how to deal with the discussions, because I was presenting what was on display, adding the clinic. put in the ambulance unit, however, the order [by the Ministry of Health] was for cell clinics.
He said the cell clinic costs 82,250 rand with an additional maintenance contract.
“The cost of the ambulance edition is 68,811 rand, as indicated at the launch. There, a unit argued in the media that proposed 17,000 rand. We verified and discovered that someone had taken an image of our online page and used it for 17,000 rand We discovered that there is no link to a corporate or online page that can provide the main points of the proposed unit. We assume it’s a scam. We have no patents on the sets we manufacture and anyone can compete with us and any festival is welcome.
He said the ministry had ordered the ambulance edition of his product. DM/MC
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