Objectives

The primary objective is to procure sterile, absorbable laparoscopic sutures for surgical procedures at Addington Hospital. The procurement aims to ensure reliable access to high-quality medical consumables while adhering to provincial health supply chain regulations and promoting local economic participation through preferential scoring mechanisms.

Scope

The tender covers the supply and delivery of three (3) boxes of Endoloop Laparoscopic Sutures. Each box contains twelve (12) units. The contract validity period is ninety (90) days from the closing date. All delivery, handling, and logistics costs must be included in the quoted price, with final delivery to Addington Hospital’s designated receiving area. The procurement follows a single-stage quotation process governed by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health’s supply chain management framework.

Technical Requirements

• Product Specification: Endoloop Laparoscopic Ligature utilizing either PDS or Coated Vicryl absorbable suture material.
• Dimensions & Design: Eighteen-inch (18”) ligature housed in a protective plastic tube, pre-formed into a secure loop with a factory-tied knot.
• Sterility & Usage: Sterile, single-use, and individually packaged. Expired or second-hand goods are strictly prohibited; supplied items must retain a minimum shelf life of six months upon delivery.
• Quality Certification: Products must comply with recognized medical device standards, specifically SABS, SANS, or ISO approvals.
• Sample Submission: A physical sample must be submitted upfront for evaluation against the specification. Samples will be retained if the bidder is awarded the contract.
• Compliance Documentation: Mandatory submission of a valid Central Supplier Database (CSD) report, B-BBEE certificate or sworn affidavit, tax clearance verification, and completed preference points claim form (SBD 6.1).

Skills Requirements

No formal technical certifications or clinical training are mandated for bidders. However, the evaluation requires demonstrable operational and administrative capacity. Suppliers must provide documented proof of previous successful deliveries to public or private healthcare facilities, including order confirmations and signed delivery notes. This verifies logistical competence, warehousing capabilities, and reliable distribution networks for sterile medical supplies. Additionally, bidders must demonstrate proficiency in navigating public sector procurement processes, including accurate completion of mandatory returnable documents, tax compliance validation, and strict adherence to General and Special Conditions of Contract.

Explanation of Unusual or Complicated Terms

• Endoloop Laparoscopic Suture: A specialized surgical device that integrates an absorbable suture thread with a pre-tied loop mechanism. It is designed for minimally invasive (laparoscopic) surgeries to securely ligate blood vessels or tissue pedicles without requiring manual knot tying.
• SABS/SANS/ISO: Regulatory and quality assurance frameworks. SABS (South African Bureau of Standards) and SANS (South African National Standards) ensure local manufacturing and safety compliance, while ISO denotes international quality management certification. Medical devices must hold one or more of these approvals.
• 80/20 Preference Point System: A South African public procurement scoring model where eighty percent of evaluation points are allocated to price competitiveness and twenty percent to socio-economic goals (in this case, prioritizing South African-owned enterprises).
• CSD (Central Suppliers Database): The national government’s centralized vendor registration system. Active verification is mandatory for eligibility.
• B-BBEE (Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment): A statutory compliance requirement assessing a company’s contribution to economic transformation, verified via a certificate or sworn affidavit.