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DENOSA response to the progress report by SIU on PPE tender corruption
Media statement
Friday, 05 February 2021
The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) notes the progress report by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) into the R30.7 billion PPE procurement that took place between April and November last year, which underlines the urgent need to relook at government’s supply chain management controls by Treasury as well as consequence management.
DENOSA is particularly disappointed that R13.3 billion, which is close to 50% of the whole procurement, is subject to investigation, which is the clearest indication that healthcare workers were never the priority to protect. The infection of over 43 000 healthcare workers, and the subsequent death of more than 436 of them, could well be closely linked to the supply of substandard quality of products which the investigation has unearthed so far, which vindicates many healthcare workers who complained to us of poor quality of PPE at the time when healthcare workers needed the best protection in the face of the deadliest virus that has killed over 2 million people globally.
Healthcare workers are owed an apology, explanation and a recourse from both government and implicated companies over this malaise, because many are still feeling the hard knock-on effects of infection while family members of those who died have lost bread winners and parents permanently. Those companies who supplied sub-standard quality PPE have set healthcare up for failure and placed their lives on the line.
We call on the monies that have been retrieved successfully to be returned back to buying quality PPE to safeguard the healthcare workers as the country has been warned of the possible third wave of COVID-19.
DENOSA still reiterates its call for the conscience of the President, the Minister of Health and the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health as an oversight structure to consider paying healthcare workers Covid-19 risk allowance as a way to keep them in the country because other countries will become attractive place of employment for them soon.
Given the seriousness of this to healthcare workers, DENOSA cannot count out the possibility of a class action, and as a result reserves its right.
End
Issued by the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA)
For more information, contact:
Cassim Lekhoathi, DENOSA Acting General Secretary
Mobile: 082 328 9671
Simon Hlungwani, DENOSA President
Mobile: 082 328 9635
Website: www.denosa.org.za
Facebook: DENOSA National Page
Twitter: @DENOSAORG
