PAC, Health PS clash over QMMH private wing

By:Moroke Sekoboto

A FIERCE exchange erupted in Parliament this week when the Ministry of Health Principal Secretary (PS), ’Maneo Ntene, refused to terminate a contract awarded to Tsebo Health Solutions for a planned private wing at Queen ’Mamohato Memorial Hospital (QMMH), despite a directive from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for her to do so.

Ms Ntene told the PAC that Health Minister, Selibe Mochoboroane, had instructed her not to cancel the contract because doing so would be un lawful. The PS had first appeared before the PAC last week, when she was accused of having vested interests in what the Committee called the “illegal” contract awarded to Tsebo Health Solutions to operate a private wing at QMMH.

The Committee went as far as calling for her to be investigated for corruption and ordered her to terminate the Tsebo Health Solutions contract. However, appearing again this week, a defiant Ms Ntene said the ministry had obtained a legal opinion warning that cancelling the contract would trigger legal consequences, hence the Minister’s instruction that she should not comply with the PAC directive

PAC members, however, insisted the procurement process was riddled with irregularities, arguing the company did not even apply for the tender.

PAC Chairperson, Machabane Lemphane-Letsie, blasted Ms Ntene, re minding her that she was summoned as the Chief Accounting Officer and that the Committee expected answers from her—not from the Minister. She questioned Ms Ntene’s insistence that the Minister should be summoned

Last month, the government announced the establishment of a private wing at QMMH, to be operated by local company Tsebo Health Solutions in partnership with Busamed, a South African private hospital group. The wing is intended to serve as a referral facility, aimed at reducing costly patient transfers to South Africa.