COVID-19 Preparation
In light of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s declaration of a state of disaster our priority is to comply with the COVID-19 related directive while maintaining a reliable supply of products and services to your facility.
As a major supplier in the SA healthcare industry, Priontex is taking this matter very seriously. Our crisis management committee is managing the influence of the COVID-19 on our business and the supply of Priontex and Malachite products to our clients and partners.
We are engaging with key stakeholders in the major hospital groups to assist in developing healthcare solutions to ensure full preparedness as the virus spreads within our country.
Measures to reduce infection risk at Priontex facilities:
We proudly operate to ISO 8 level standards in our processing cleanroom facilities nationally. We adhere to strict hygiene controls and are now optimising additional measures to ensure that our workplace is free from any risk to the health of our employees. We are focussing on the following activities:
- Continuous education for all employees on developments related to COVID-19 and on best hygiene practices.
- Emphasise the importance of regular handwashing by employees.
- Provide hand sanitisers at multiple touch points across all Priontex production and administrative facilities.
- Promote effective respiratory hygiene by employees.
- All production staff will optimise use of personal protective equipment (PPE), including wearing of face masks
- All staff are to be temperature scanned on entering our sites nationally before every shift.
- Any staff members displaying symptoms will be isolated from our facilities
- Only pre-approved essential visitors to our manufacturing facilities will be allowed access by the site Manager. All visitors are to be temperature scanned and hands to be sanitised before entering the sites.
Priontex delivery vehicles:
We have increased the sanitisation measures on the inside cabins and storage compartments of our delivery vehicles.
Our delivery personnel have been educated on infection risk mitigation protocols and have been issued with personal protective equipment, including masks.
Sales Representative Activity:
Our Sales and Clinical representatives will not be entering hospitals, unless by specific request approved by hospital management. In such cases, they will follow all precautionary measures as published by the IDC and our DOH, and as requested by the hospital.
We are restricting contact between Priontex employees and your staff members to email, telephone and, where appropriate, voice & video conferencing, e.g. Zoom and Skype.
Continuity of products and services supply:
Reusable rental products: As it currently stands, and based on normal historical orders from our clients, we are able to maintain supply and service levels for the foreseeable future. Our drape and gown fabrics required to maintain current demand beyond 4 weeks is due to arrive from overseas as scheduled. Should there be unforeseen shipment delays, we will work directly with the theatre staff at your facility to revise the mix of available drape and gown components we can supply.
Our priority is to maintain the supply of current demand, but in the event of an inordinate increase in demand, we will manage this on a case by case basis, while ensuring such supply will not be at the expense of existing clients.
It is important that hospitals do not over-order rental products above normal daily requirements. Further, these products must be returned to Priontex after use to ensure continuation of supply.
In some cases we may be able to substitute certain reusable drapes and gowns with single use Prionguard equivalents, but this will, again, be in consultation with your theatre staff.
For enquiries related to the supply of reusable drapes and gowns to your facility please contact the following Priontex staff members:
Malachite Medical single-use products:
Most of these Prionguard-branded products are either imported directly or rely on imported components for local manufacture. We have a close relationship with our manufacturer who is able to supply sufficient volumes to manage current demand. Our priority is to service the contracts we have in place and at the normal historical volumes.
Any inordinate increase in demand needs to be requested directly with Malachite Medical and this will be managed on a case-by-case basis.
For enquiries related to the supply of single-use Prionguard products please contact:
Marketing Manager
