Pretoria – The North West Department of Health says it has reinstated the contract awarded to Lorato Consultants t/a Lorato Constructions to supply coal to provincial hospitals.
This follows court proceedings instituted against the department by the service provider.
The contract with Lorato Consultants t/a Lorato Constructions was terminated in May because test results from samples of the coal provided by the company appeared to be of low quality.
At the time, the department said the company was contracted to supply Grade A coal, but instead delivered coal of low or inferior quality to some of the hospitals.
On Friday, health department spokesperson Tebogo Lekgethwane explained that the contract had now been reinstated as the service provider had argued that the process undertaken by the department to collect samples from the coal was not correct.
He said the service provider was not represented when the department collected the samples.
Lekgethwane said the department would continue to conduct tests on coal supplied to its hospitals for quality.
“[The department] will ensure that the correct procedure is followed. This will be done in the interest of the patients who are treated in public health facilities,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
