Objectives

The primary objective is to supply, deliver, install, and commission one (1) new nuclear medicine dose calibrator system at Victoria Mxenge Hospital. The contract ensures accurate measurement of radiopharmaceutical activities for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures while maintaining strict compliance with provincial health, safety, and nuclear regulatory standards.

Scope of Work

• Supply, delivery, installation, testing, initial calibration, and performance verification of a complete dose calibrator system.
• Conduct acceptance testing alongside Health Technology Services and hospital management prior to final payment.
• Provide comprehensive user and service manuals, calibration software, and essential starter accessories.
• Deliver a minimum twenty-four (24) month guarantee covering all maintenance, spares, labour, travel, and quality assurance testing costs.
• Submit a fully costed, comprehensive maintenance and service agreement for five (5) years commencing immediately after the warranty period.
• Guarantee lifelong supply of spare parts, components, technical support, and ongoing training.

Technical Requirements

• Detector & Performance: Well-type pressurized ionization chamber with high stability, low leakage current, and automatic background subtraction. Must meet IEC standards for accuracy, constancy, linearity, and geometry dependence.
• Radiopharmaceutical Compatibility: Accurate measurement of Tc-99m, F-18, I-123, I-131, Ga-68, and Lu-177, with provisions for user-defined calibration factors.
• Interface & Connectivity: Digital display in Bq/Ci, menu-driven navigation, real-time stable averaging, and USB/Ethernet interfaces for data export.
• Safety & Certification: CE Certified, IEC 60601-1 and 60601-1-2 compliant, electro-magnetic interference protected, and fitted with a hospital-grade, SANS colour-coded mains cable (minimum three metres) with a 15A approved plug.
• Regulatory Compliance: SAHPRA registration, National Nuclear Regulator approval, and valid Radiation Control licence documentation.
• Documentation & Software: Complete original service/repair manuals including circuit diagrams, PCB layouts, fault-finding guides, and all necessary software keys/passwords provided at no extra cost.
• Upgradability: Latest commercially available technology with a clear update policy; patient safety and virus-related upgrades must be provided free of charge.

Skills & Service Requirements

• Local Service Facility: Supplier must maintain an established repair and calibration facility in KwaZulu-Natal, subject to institutional inspection.
• Technician Qualifications: Permanently based technicians must be Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) trained, with documented proof and a defined equipment-to-technician ratio.
• Response Time: Guaranteed technician availability within twenty-four (24) hours of malfunction reporting.
• Advanced Training: On-site training for Nuclear Medicine Radiographers and Medical Physics staff down to Printed Circuit Board (PCB) level, equivalent to factory training, culminating in a Certificate of Competency.
• Backup Support: Provision of an after-hours service backup facility and a loan unit if the primary equipment is removed for repairs.
• Spare Parts Commitment: Guarantee spare part availability for ten (10) years from manufacture, with clearly stated delivery lead times.

Unusual or Complicated Terms & Services

• Dose Calibrator: A highly specialized nuclear medicine instrument that measures radioactive decay in radiopharmaceuticals. It requires precise calibration, strict radiation safety protocols, and adherence to nuclear regulatory standards to ensure patient dosing accuracy.
• PCB-Level Technical Training: An advanced skill requirement where hospital staff must be trained not only in daily operation but also in diagnosing and repairing electronic circuit boards, ensuring minimal downtime and reduced reliance on external engineers.
• Health Technology Services (HTS) Specification Framework: A provincial standardised procurement protocol that mandates rigorous clinical trials, technical evaluations, and multi-stage compliance checks before contract adjudication.
• 80/20 Preference Point System: A government procurement scoring model allocating eighty percent of evaluation points to price competitiveness and twenty percent to socio-economic goals (specifically, promoting South African-owned enterprises).