Tender Summary: Diathermy Pads for Adults

Objectives

Wentworth Hospital (KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health) seeks to procure adult diathermy pads for use during surgical operations. The stated purpose is to ground electrical current and prevent burns to the patient during surgery.

Scope of Supply

• Item: Diathermy pads, non-split, universal type for adults.
• Configuration: Monopolar, without cable.
• Sterility: Sterile, supplied as one piece per pouch.
• Packaging: Box of 20 units.
• Quantity required: 15 boxes.
• Contract type: Once-off, no ongoing contract period stated.
• Quotation reference: WEH 133/26-27.
• Validity required: 90 days.
• Delivery: Quoted price must include delivery cost to Wentworth Hospital. Products must be supplied with a minimum remaining shelf life of six months. Expired or second-hand products will not be accepted.

Technical Requirements

• The product must comply with the specification in Annexure A: diathermy pads, non-split, universal type for adult use, monopolar, without cable, sterile one piece per pouch.
• Bidders must confirm compliance with the specification on the official price page or evaluation form; failure to do so will render the quotation non-responsive.
• The tender lists as mandatory requirements:
  • A valid South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) licence authorising the bidder to manufacture, import/export, wholesale or distribute the medical device.
  • Proof (or availability) that the items are SABS or SANS approved.
  • Submission of a Material Safety Data Sheet for the product.

Note: although the evaluation criteria mention these as mandatory, some are included in the document but marked as not returnable by bidders. Bidders should prepare to provide them if requested.

Administrative and Compliance Requirements

• Completed official quotation particulars and official price page (forms may not be retyped).
• Bidder Disclosure (SBD4), including declaration of relationship to any KZN Department of Health employee.
• General Conditions of Contract (GCC) and Special Conditions of Contract (SCC), signed or initialled as applicable.
• Preference Points Claim Form (SBD 6.1) in line with the Preferential Procurement Regulations 2022.
• Supplier updated CIPC registration documents (e.g., company registration).
• Central Supplier Database (CSD) compliance report. Bidders must be CSD registered or verification must pass.
• SARS tax compliance: bidder’s tax affairs must be in order; a SARS PIN may be needed for verification.
• Quotation must be submitted on official forms in a sealed envelope to the Blue Tender Box at the Main Gate, Wentworth Hospital, 1 Boston Road, Jacobs, 4026, before the closing time and date.

Evaluation Criteria

Quotes are assessed in five stages. Failure in any stage will make the quotation non-responsive:

1. Stage 1 – Administrative/compulsory compliance: completion of all required forms and submission of CIPC, CSD, SAHPRA and other listed documents.
2. Stage 2 – Capacity to deliver: the bidder must submit a copy of at least one order and delivery note as proof of prior delivery in a private or public health facility. Bidders with an earlier default at Wentworth Hospital without acceptable reasons may be disqualified.
3. Stage 3 – Specification compliance: explicit confirmation that products meet the technical specification.
4. Stage 4 – Price and preference points: an 80/20 preference point system applies. Price counts for 80 points, and 20 points available for the specific goal of South African ownership (evidence: B-BBEE certificate / sworn affidavit, and ID copy).
5. Stage 5 – Submission of a sample: at least the three highest-scoring bidders may be required to submit samples. Only compliant samples will be accepted. If all samples are rejected, the tender process may restart.

Skills and Experience Required

Bidder should be a registered medical device supplier/wholesaler, in good standing on the Central Supplier Database, with technical capability to supply sterile, SABS/SANS-approved diathermy devices. The bidder must be able to prove recent delivery of a comparable order to a health facility, and must comply with all ethical and disclosure requirements of South African public procurement.

Key Terms Explained

• Diathermy pads – neutral electrode plates used during electrosurgery; if connected properly they create a low-density current return path and prevent burns. “Non-split” means a single-piece pad (not segmented). “Universal type” indicates a pad that can be used with different manufacturers' electrosurgical generators (where compatible). “Without cable” means the pad does not have an attached patient cable.
• Monopolar: the flow of energy from the active electrode through the patient to the neutral electrode pad.
• SAHPRA: South African Health Products Regulatory Authority – the national authority that controls medical devices.
• SABS/SANS: South African Bureau of Standards National Standards, the quality and safety standards tested.
• CSD: Central Supplier Database - the South African government’s central electronic database of appointed suppliers.
• CIPC: Companies and Intellectual Property Commission – the corporate registry of South Africa.
• 80/20 system: a preference point system used when the tender value is up to R50 million; 80% of the score is price and 20% is reserved for specific transformation goals (here, South African ownership).