In recent months, Tembisa Hospital has been at the centre of corruption with the tender scandal over R14 million being the core focus. DA Health Shadow MEC Jack Bloom was accompanied by local DA councillors, Selby Thekiso and Philip Thamahane, during a visit to the hospital’s Acting CEO Dr Mohlamme Mathabathe and his management team.
NOTHING TO SHOW FOR IT
Bloom said he wanted to check if the items that were bought for R1.5million were delivered at the hospital.
"There are no skinny jeans, cloth hand towels or leather armchairs. We were also informed that the hospital only uses paper towels and not the latter, they reduced all this spending to a typing error ." They said that the 100 armchairs could be found in the ICU and high care wards. Bloom said when they visited the ICU ward they were shown adjustable-height chairs without side-arms.
"When I pointed out that these were definitely not the leather wingback armchairs that were recorded as being bought for R5000 each, they again said it was a “coding error”.
TENDER FRAUD
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Bloom had previously indicated that ANC bigwigs were using the hospital as a money making scheme instead of serving deserving citizens.
"it has come to my attention that an ANC treasure General of the Ekurhuleni region has been awarded multiple multimillion rand tenders at the hospital over the past three years," said Bloom. He said Sello Sekhokho had three companies linked to the hospital - Kaizen Projects, Nokokhokho Medical Supplies and Bollanoto Security that got R2.8 million in contracts in 2019, R4.2 million in 2020 and R7.5 million last year when Dr Ashley Mthunzi took over as hospital CEO.
FISHY COMPANIES
The skinny jean saga is part of hundreds of payments totalling R850 million that murdered whistleblower Babita Deokaran flagged as “possibly fraudulent". Doekaran said the money went to fishy companies and were all under R500 000, which means they did not have to go out to tender and they were signed off by the hospital CEO.
"The hospital said they have tightened up on purchasing procedures, which I hope curbs the abuses of the past. I am a great believer in transparency in this matter. As they say “sunlight is the best disinfectant”, said Bloom.
The Gauteng Health department has dismissed allegations made by Bloom claiming they are sensational.
In a statement the department claims Bloom has deliberately tabled distorted facts surrounding the appointment of Tembisa hospital CEO Dr Mthunzi. It's alleged that Dr Mthunzi had no criminal charges against him when he was appointed. It is said that the CEO was not given a written warning and there is no disciplinary charge or action. "it must be stated that on the 15th of September 2021 the then acting Head of Department signed a report prepared by an internal investigator recommending that Dr Mthunzi and other officials be given final written warnings without applying the audi alteram paterm rule (the principal of hearing the other side of any matter," read the statement.
