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HIV/AIDS News South Africa

Health Dept recalls Zalatex-made condoms

The Department of Health is recalling two condom consignments for March and July 2007 from warehouses and health facilities throughout the country. This follows reports that Latex Surgical Products (LSP), which was awarded a contract by the Department of Health through Zalatex, to produce Choice condoms for the public, had allegedly bribed the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) official to pass the defective condoms.

According to the Logistics Management Information System 2007, about 4.6 million condoms are affected.

“We will also approach National Treasury, which is responsible for management of the contract of the implicated LSP/Zalatex, to discuss the way forward and will do everything in our power to protect our people,” said the department.

The implicated official has been suspended from work and SABS has opened a criminal case against the man and the company involved.

The SABS, which is responsible for quality assurance testing prior to any distribution, has assured the department that it withdrew the LSP/Zalatex certification to manufacture condoms on 17 August 2007.

LSP/Zalatex is one of the seven companies which had been awarded the tender to produce male condoms. Zalatex received a 9% stake (76 million condoms) of the total amount of 850 million condoms. The contract started in October 2005 to 20 September 2007.

The SABS has also reported to the department that two condom consignments for March and July 2007 from Zalatex were subjected to an investigative audit and did not pass the quality test.

The six other companies passed the investigative random stock check.

Article published courtesy of BuaNews

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