North West MEC for health Magome Masike said that the department had sent out tow trucks to collect mobile units belonging to Gupta-linked company Mediosa in its bid to recoup what it said was taxpayers' money lost to Mediosa.
Masike said the department was determined to ensure that it got its money's worth for the R30m it paid to the company.
"First, the company sent us an invoice of R24m out of the R30m prepayment. We need to satisfy ourselves that the R24m work has been done by going through the report which goes up [to the] end of January 2018," Masike said.
"Then we still need a report for February 2018 which covers the work done for the outstanding R6m. Until we satisfy ourselves with the work that has been done, we are not settled with Mediosa."
Masike said that the mobile clinics, which were collected from the Ratlou sub-district and Kagisano-Molopo municipality, would not be released to Mediosa.
"My concern is the number of people that Mediosa is claiming to have seen. It cannot be that in a village of 2 000 people you claim to have seen 16 000 patients. We have issues with that," he said.
"We have to iron out all those so that we subtract them from the R30m that they were paid in advance for doing nothing. That is the point of controversy and we think we are on the right track. We want to recoup the money of the taxpayers and we are going to do it."
Mediosa gained infamy following revelations that the North West government had paid the company R30m in advance. A similar agreement with Mediosa had been arranged in the Free State before the company had conducted work for either province.
North West head of department Thabo Lekalakala was placed on suspension for his role in the awarding of the Mediosa contract.
It is also alleged that Mediosa, formerly known as Cureva, had direct involvement with the Gupta family but the company has denied this.