Q: HOW IMPORTANT ARE PARTNER AND SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS TO THE SMOOTH RUNNING OF GROOTE SCHUUR?

Bhavna Patel:

“Supply chain management is very strictly regulated within the public sector and our organisation must comply with all of these requirements. Demand management and the entire supply chain process is under the control of our very firm, no-nonsense Finance Director, Mrs Annelise Bezuidenhout. She ensures that we comply, but at the same time, that all the clinical needs are met.

“While it is important to have a supplier relationship, we also need a transparent system of doing business to ensure fairness. All our procurement is an electronic method of inviting quotes or a formal tender process and we are bound by these regulations. The only supplier relationship we might have is when we have standardised equipment to one make or where there is a sole supplier.”