The appointment of security companies on a long-term basis is in line with the Department’s commitment to strengthen the security measures across health facilities in the province.

Previously, the Department relied on month-to-month security contracts which involved 65 companies at R59 million per month which was not in compliant with the Public Finance Management Act.

The Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness made an undertaking to rectifying this situation by ensuring that the department puts in place long-term fixed contracts that are on par with Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSiRA) rates. Also, the specifications were strengthened to ensure adequate number of security personnel is deployed, including armed response and panic buttons amongst other additions.

This led to the Department in April 2024 announcing the completion of the process of putting in place long-term security contracts for its facilities. This saw a new three-year contract which involves 113 security companies coming into effect on the 1st of April 2024 until March 2027 to safeguard 37 public hospitals and over 300 clinics and institutions.

This is an important investment to ensure the safety of patients, staff and protect the integrity of our public healthcare system. While the GDoH acknowledges the increasing costs of security services, it is imperative to understand that the rise in security expenditure is reflective of the current market rates and as such, it is impossible to expect the cost to remain the