GOVT AWARDS COVID-19 PROTECTIVE GEAR TENDERS ...

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.

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