Yesterday, 4 February 2016, the Panel of the Health Market Inquiry into the Private Healthcare Sector (HMI), published the Schedule for Set 1 of the Public Hearings. The first set hearings commences on 16 February at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) International Convention Centre.

Some of the stakeholders expected to make oral submissions at the CSIR are:

• Various consumers
• Section 27
• World Health Organisation (WHO)
• Congress of SouthAfrican Trade Unions (COSATU), and
• Practitioner associations

The hearings will also be held at the HMI offices from 23 – 25 February 2016. Various service providers will make oral submissions to the Panel in this period.

A further two sessions will be conducted in Cape Town on 1 – 3 March and 8 – 10 March 2016 respectively. The National Department of Health, various medical schemes and the country’s three largest hospital groups (Netcare, Mediclinic and Life healthcare) are expected to make oral submissions at these sessions.

The purpose of the public hearings is to sensitise members of the public and other stakeholders about how the private healthcare sector operates. In this regard, the hearings will assist to gain an understanding of how the various consumer groups, labour unions, NGOs and healthcare service providers interact with one another and their experience in interacting with one another. The hearings also seek to give members of the public the opportunity to provide additional information that they may wish to bring to the attention of the Panel of the HMI.

All non-confidential transcripts of the HMI public hearings will be available to the public.  A detailed schedule of public hearings is available on the website: www.compcom.co.za .

 

Issued by Competition Commission