The DA in Gauteng has called for a review of ballooning hospital security costs, with MPL Jack Bloom saying the exorbitant amounts could rather be diverted to improve patient care, and that cartels could be involved in the awarding of the inflated and highly lucrative contracts.
In a written reply to questions from Bloom in the Gauteng legislature, Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko admitted that costs for security services at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital had rocketed to R77m a year compared with a more modest R22m 10 years ago.
Calvin and Family Security Services was awarded a three-year contract worth R232m to provide 275 security staff, including 248 low-paid grade C officers, but Bloom said this amounts to about R23 000 per worker a month – while most grade C security officers only usually earn about R6 000 a month.
He questioned why the costs had increased so much, also citing the R72m a year spent on security at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital, up from R35m three years ago. ….more
