The Aids Law project has welcomed Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang’s response on Wednesday to an ultimatum from the Treatment Action Campaign.
Tshabalala-Msimang ordered that there should be an urgent accreditation of facilities that meet the requirements to provide quality care in line with the Comprehensive Plan for Management, Care and Treatment of HIV/Aids, and that this will be announced within the next few days.
The minister was responding to the Treatment Action Campaign’s call last week for her to authorise the immediate procurement of anti-retroviral drugs.
The TAC said Tshabalala-Msimang was failing to make use of regulations that clearly allow the government to purchase an urgent interim supply of anti-retrovirals pending the finalisation of the tender process.
Jonathan Berger, spokesperson for the Aids Law project, acting on behalf of the Treatment Action Campaign, said on Wednesday afternoon the minister’s decision was welcome.
“We trust that the commitment the minister made will be followed through, and with urgency, and that the provinces make use of the new procurement mechanism of it…”
Tshabalala-Msimang said, after a health Minmec (minister and MECs) meeting, interim measures should be “explored” and used at fully accredited sites. However, the national drug tender is still in process.
The minister said Minmec acknowledged that flexibility in procurement methods is acceptable, provided that quality standards of the programme are not jeopardised.
The Department of Health will coordinate this process through a national quotation system ensuring provinces will not be buying at different prices.
This temporary measure will not replace the tender process, which is far better suited to sustainable drug supplies, most competitive prices and longer-term demand for anti-retrovirals that the South African programme may create.
Tshabalala-Msimang said funding for all the plan’s elements will become available through conditional grants to provincial health departments from April 2004.
More than 40 companies have expressed interest in supplying the drugs and have until April 2 to submit their proposals.
She said a process of short-listing will follow and negotiations will take place with the short-listed companies during the month of May to secure the most competitive prices. — Sapa
Minister responds to TAC’s call