The department said the move was aimed at improving health services in the province.

It added the plan had been on the cards since 2006 and was not in reaction to a recent crisis.

The controversial medicine depot had been outsourced to Vuna Health Care Solutions, whose contract has expired.

"Back in 2006 the management made an assessment and found that the way in which we were procuring medicines and distributing it left the department without control," department spokesman Phuti Seloba said.

He said the takeover would ensure there were no further shortages.

"When you outsource you don't have supervision. We depend more on service level agreement with the service providers."

Tons of expired medicines that included ARVs and other chronic medications were found at the depots.

Seloba said they were still investigating the allegations.

Health MEC Norman Mabasa will today also visit the depots to assess the situation.

Cosatu yesterday welcomed the move by the department, saying it was long overdue that such services and others be handled internally.

Cosatu provincial secretary, Dan Sebabi, said they would be intensifying their call for other services to be handled internally.

He said laundry and hospital security services also needed to be de-privatised since they had a potential to unlock thousands of jobs.

"This is a clear sign that privatisation has failed," Sebabi said.

Comments

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Thu May 23 19:02:03 SAST 2013 ::

May 11, 2012

Idohl

Well done Dr. Mabasa. At least Mr. Mathale made a good move by appointing you. Now other depts must do like wise. It is high time we do away with this tenders bankrupting our govt.
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May 11, 2012

PleaseGetReal

I don't know if my fellow readers and bloggers noticed that these past months everything our anc government touches is in crises.

Interesting,



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May 11, 2012

19851014

No tackle crisis ya selo mo. Ke maano feela a go ja tshelete.
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May 11, 2012

willows

no leaders in mathale's government, only eaters, eatin our tax money
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May 11, 2012

7000000

Norman Mabasa is a medical doctor who does not understand anything about Politics. We are running short of Doctors in our country the man must go back to his profession and help our patients. We know that he is a ''Lapdog'' deployed by Mathale and Julius to switch Tenders to themselves after the Administration is over. Let me tell you boys, the Administration is not going anywhere until Mathale and the PEC have been cut down to a suitable size. The situation is Limpopo will continue until after the next General Elections were the Commander in Chief will have his time to re arrange his Premiers were Mathale will not retain the Premiership of Limpopo should he survive the disbanment or re-deployment to Lethuli House. What Mabasa is doing is tricks to show the General Public that he is hands on but let us tell you that we know that the department is shambles and only National intervention by means of bail out of its debts caused by Mathale and Segabutla who were influenced by Julius, can only save the Department. Mabasa is a useless ''Mathale yes man'' who will not last nine months as the MEC, he will get the chop when Mathale is finally removed.
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