GCIS
South Africa received a significant consignment of personal protective equipment for the sole use of frontline health workers, including doctors, nurses and community health workers.
The massive order includes two million surgical masks and 216 000 KN95 respirators which arrived in the country on Thursday night.
It forms part of a government-led centralised PPE procurement strategy that serves both the public and private health care sectors.
“This is led by the National Department of Health and the National Treasury’s Office of the Chief Procurement Officer, working in partnership with Business for South Africa (B4SA),” according to a statement on Friday.
“This order will be bolstered by a further 784 000 KN95 respirators and 550 000 surgical masks which will arrive in the country on Sunday night.”
B4SA said it had developed a national demand and supplier “dashboard” and was driving the procurement, transport and logistics of Personal Protective Equipment.
“The procurement strategy is underpinned by a robust governance process that qualifies and vets both suppliers and their products against approved quality guidelines,” it said.
“All stocks that are landing in South Africa, or being collected from local suppliers and donors, are being delivered to the Provinces in accordance with the allocations determined by NDoH,” B4SA said.
It said that in addition to global sourcing, South Africa was also working to capacitate, scale-up and strengthen its local PPE supply and production capability.
Stavros Nicolaou, the chairperson of Business for South Africa’s Health Workgroup said business was deeply humbled to be able to serve the country in its time of need.
“The leadership displayed by our President, and Minister of Health has been exemplary and has galvanised Business into action to support our Government's efforts to combat and mitigate the impact of the pandemic,” he said.
Nicolaou said that the central procurement strategy is aimed at securing PPE stocks for South Africa for the next 6-8 weeks and monthly thereafter.
