The Hawks descended on Tembisa Tertiary Hospital on Tuesday to conduct a search and seizure operation over allegedly illegal multimillion-rand contracts awarded at the institution.

Gauteng Hawks spokesperson, Colonel Katlego Mogale, said the operation emanated from an inquiry into allegations of fraud and corruption at the hospital.

She said they had received information about R850-million in irregular contracts awarded to 217 service providers by supply chain management at the hospital.

According to Mogale, these alleged irregularities concerned contracts of less than R500 000.

"These were allegedly issued as purchase orders between 2016 and 2022. 

"These orders were reportedly conducted or allocated unlawfully and illegally, resulting in the hospital being prejudiced by over R850-million.

"In some contracts, hospital employees are said to have received gratification. The investigation team is to seize all relevant materials, including documents and electronic gadgets, which are deemed important in the investigation's progress," Mogale added.

The investigation comes after the assassination of whistleblower Babita Deokaran, a chief director of financial accounting at the Gauteng health department. Deokaran was killed outside her south Johannesburg home in August 2021 after flagging irregular and dubious payments at the hospital.