The Gauteng Department of Health’s (GDoH) process to introduce a multi-supplier approach in response to the recent food restrictions at various health facilities is at an advanced stage.
“The department has reviewed the previous practice, where a single supplier delivers a wide variety of items,” says Motalatale Modiba, spokesperson for the department. “This was apparently the most important contributing factor to insufficient food supply to hospitals.”
He says the process, to appoint multiple providers, is in the final stage and will ensure that the care of patients is not harmed by service providers who do not have the necessary capacity to meet the needs of facilities.
Since the beginning of the year, some health facilities have faced food supply challenges, including items such as dairy products, red meat, fish, bread and vegetables.
“Despite these supply challenges, the department wants to reassure families of patients and the public that, in cases where a specific food item was not available, other arrangements were made to ensure a sustained diet for patients. Items such as dumplings, mashed potatoes and bread, for example, were served in place of rice, porridge and ground rice, while chicken was replaced with sardines, macaroni and cheese and beans.”
Since the department began the review process, several service providers have voluntarily terminated their contracts due to capacity constraints.
“This necessitated the department to allow institutions, as an interim measure, to procure food items through RFQ (request for quotation) to ensure continued food supply for patients. Several hospitals also had trouble paying providers on time. However, the biggest problem remains the limited capacity of contracted service providers who are unable to meet the demands of the facilities in terms of the orders that are placed.”
While the final appointment of various service providers is underway, the department is closely monitoring the situation to ensure that the care of patients is not affected in any way during this transition phase.
