Issued by: Department of Health
22 March 1996
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH DEMANDS PROOF OF DP AND NP ALLEGATIONS
The Department of Health, is challenging the National Party and the Democratic Party to provide proof of the allegations they made in a statement earlier this week.
The Department is reacting to media reports of a statement by the NP's spokesman on Health, Dr Willem Odendaal, alleging that the tender procedures to award two contracts were irregular as well as DP's Mike Ellis' allegations that Dr Shisana "was the cause of the problem' in the awarding of the two tenders.
The two contracts are the National Health Information System, hich is currently with the State Tender Board and the Hospital Strategy Project, which was signed before Dr Shisana took office.
"The Department of Health officials involved in the tendering assured me that the procedures they followed were according to required State Tender Board provisions", Dr Shisana says.
"If Dr Odendaal and Mr Ellis have proof of their allegations, we are inviting them to produce it for public scrutiny. We do not believe they have. Their report is fraught with inaccuracies and contain very little factual information", Dr Shisana says.
Dr Shisana is also seeking legal advice on these slanderous and inaccurate reports.
The Hospital Strategy Project is funded by European Union money and is worth R5,5 million. It is not true that it is funded from RDP money to the tune of R6 million, as stated by Dr Odendaal.
The panel that recommended and awarded this contract consisted of five people - an EU representative, two members of the Health Police Co-ordinating Unit and two representatives from the Department of Health. The contract was finally signed by the previous Director-General and not by Dr Shisana as alleged by the DP and the NP.
For the record, the Department would like to state that outside of Dr Jonathan Broomberg's advisory relationship to the Department of Health through the Hospital Strategy Project, he has no other formal relationship with the Department. He is not an advisor on financial matters, as alleged by Dr Odendaal.
The contract for the NHIS was overseen by the Chief Director of Health Information, Evaluation and Research, Chief Director of Support Services and the nine provincial representatives. The Public Service Commission were observers and the World Health Organisation (WHO) played an advisory role. The Minister of Health, Dr Nkosazana Zuma, and Dr Shisana were not part of this panel.
At the time of preparing this statement a decision had not yet been taken by the State Tender Board on who this contract should be awarded to.
In the face of these unsubstantiated allegations, Dr Shisana has once again committed herself to continue her obligations of transforming the health service "to ensure that health care is accessible to all South Africans, particularly disadvantaged communities. I see this as my primary duty and I am committed to see it through", says Dr Shisana.
ENQUIRIES: Vincent Hlongwane Tel: 021 - 45747/8 Cell No: 0825570978