Objectives

The primary objective is to secure a qualified supplier for the provision of high-quality, custom-made prescription optical devices to support patient vision care at Bethesda Hospital. The contract aims to ensure clinical accuracy, timely delivery, regulatory compliance, and optimal value for money through a transparent public procurement process.

Scope

The contract covers the supply of 635 units of custom-made prescription glasses over a twelve-month period. The scope includes:

• Complete Spectacle Sets: Frames, lenses, standard vinyl spectacle cases, and cleaning cloths.
• Lens Categories: Organic plastic (CR39) lenses for single vision, bifocal, and multifocal prescriptions, featuring fixed tints, gradient tints, photochromic options, anti-glare coatings, and prism corrections across specified diopter ranges.
• Ready-Made Readers: Incremental strengths from +1.00DS in +0.50 steps, including high-power aphakic readers.
• Spectacle Frames: Metal and plastic designs accommodating diverse facial structures, ages, and genders.
• Accessories & Maintenance: Replacement frames, lenses, nose pads, screws, and tint modification services.
• Low Vision Devices: Telescopes and magnifiers (stand, handheld, dome, bar) with defined magnification levels.

Technical Requirements

Bidders must adhere to strict clinical, regulatory, and logistical standards:

• Regulatory Compliance: All products must hold SABS/SANS approval. Suppliers must provide a valid SAHPRA licence authorising the manufacture, wholesale, or distribution of medical devices.
• Material & Packaging Standards: Frames must feature flexi temples, meet current design standards, and be SABS approved. All spectacles must be packaged exclusively in standard vinyl cases (small, standard, large) and clearly labelled; plastic cases and pouches are prohibited.
• Diopter Tiers: Pricing and specifications are structured across three prescription strength brackets (low, medium, high) covering Sph 0.00 to >10.00 and Cyl 0.00 to >6.00.
• Delivery & Logistics: Maximum turnaround time is thirty days from official order receipt. Defective or incorrect orders must be collected at the supplier’s expense. Post-prescription out-of-stock notifications will not be accepted.
• Proven Track Record: Minimum five years of experience supplying optical devices.

Skills Requirements

Suppliers must demonstrate specialised clinical and operational capabilities:

• Clinical Oversight: Employment of a currently HPCSA-registered optometrist or dispensing optician to provide technical advice and ensure prescription accuracy.
• Ophthalmic Expertise: Proficiency in precise lens measurement, grinding, fitting, frame adjustment, and repair services.
• Inventory Management: Robust stock control systems to guarantee immediate availability of prescribed frames and low-vision devices without relying on post-order out-of-stock alerts.
• Administrative Competence: Ability to navigate public sector procurement requirements, including tax compliance, Central Supplier Database verification, and preference point documentation.

Explanation of Unusual or Complicated Terms

• Aphakic Ready-Mades: High-strength reading glasses (+10.00 to +12.00 diopters) designed for patients who have undergone cataract surgery and lost their natural lens. These require exclusive use of plastic frames due to weight distribution and structural safety requirements.
• Photochromic PGX Lenses: Light-sensitive lenses that automatically transition from clear to tinted when exposed to UV radiation, providing adaptive vision correction without requiring separate prescription sunglasses.
• HPCSA Registration Requirement: Mandates that the supplier employs a health professional registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa. This ensures clinical oversight, accurate optical dispensing, and adherence to national healthcare regulations.
• 80/20 Preference Point System: A South African public procurement evaluation model allocating 80 points to price competitiveness and 20 points to socio-economic transformation goals. Full points are awarded to enterprises at least 51% owned by Black women.