ZIMBABWEAN authorities are re-tendering bids to select some entities to shortlist and consider for the procurement of cancer treatment equipment after the initial bidding process failed to meet the requisite technical specifications.
The revelations about the procurement of equipment, which did not meet the requisite technical specifications was disclosed by Dr Aspect Maunganidze, the Secretary for the Ministry of Health and Child Care following a legal challenge mounted by Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR).
In a letter written to ZADHR recently, Maunganidze revealed that the Ministry of Health and Child Care had received a budgetary allocation of US$30 million for the procurement of cancer treatment equipment.
He said a “competitive” tendering process was undertaken with all the requisite procurement stages such as commercial, technical and financial evaluations being done and this had resulted in the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) making and approving tender awards for the procurement of equipment classified under Lot 1, 2 and 5, for the supply of two Multi-Energy Linear Accelerators, two Wide Bore CT Simulators to Select Healthcare Private Limited for a total contract sum of US$18 million.
Another tender was awarded to Sate Wave Technologies for a total contract value of US$8 million for the supply of two Low-Energy Linear Accelerators.
Maunganidze indicated that the Ministry of Health and Child Care will initiate a re-tendering process in line with established procurement laws and regulations after some suppliers grouped under Lots 3,4,6 and 7 did not meet the requisite technical specifications.
He advised ZADHR that his Ministry of Health and Child Care anticipates delivery of the cancer treatment machines to some government-run hospitals in Harare and Bulawayo within 36 weeks from the date of issuance of the respective purchase orders or contract to allow for manufacturing, shipping, installation and commissioning of the equipment.
Maunganidze was responding to ZADHR after the doctors’ organisation had in December 2024 written to Ministry of Health and Child Care requesting to be furnished with information detailing the total amount of sugar tax collected by government and how the financial resources had been utilised.
In its letter, which was written on 16 December 2024 to the Ministry of Ministry of Health and Child Care, ZADHR, which was represented by human rights lawyer, Precious Chakasikwa of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, asked the Dr Douglas Mombeshora-led ministry to provide it with an account of how much special surtax on sugar content in beverages had been collected and to be furnished with an account of which cancer drugs and equipment had been procured since the introduction of the sugar tax and the list of hospitals to which these had been distributed to.
The doctor’s association made the request for access to the information in terms of the provisions of section 7 of the Freedom of Information Act and justified its request as aimed at promoting transparency and accountability in the use of public funds.
ENDS
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