SECTION27 encourages the South African public, the media and civil society to attend the High Court hearing in the case between Netcare and KPMG and the Competition Commission. This hearing will take place at the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg beginning at 10h00 on Tuesday 20 May to Thursday 22 May.
Netcare – the largest private hospital group in South Africa – has brought an application to interdict KPMG from offering a range of important technical services to the Competition Commission in its Market Inquiry into the Private Health Care Sector. Netcare alleges that there is a conflict of interest as the group is a former client of KPMG and KPMG would have had access to the hospital group’s confidential information.
SECTION27 supports the Competition Commission in its efforts to ensure a transparent, participatory private health care Inquiry in which patient concerns are heard and would like to see it go ahead without any undue delay. The private health care Inquiry is critical to the realisation of the right to health because it will investigate the general state of competition in the private health care sector and will make recommendations on how to achieve accessible, affordable and high quality private health care in South Africa. The private health care sector serves 17% of people living in South Africa and the Inquiry will look into why prices continue to rise above those of headline inflation annually.
SECTION27 believes that the public interest is not best served with delays to this critical process. Civil society organisations have come together and will be monitoring all aspects of the private health care inquiry. SECTION27 urges members of the public to participate in the Inquiry and have their voices heard.
For more information on the Inquiry please visit our website (www.section27.org.za) where you will find documents outlining the process and be kept up-to-date on any new developments.
Contact:
Umunyana Rugege (SECTION27) via email: rugege@section27.org.za or telephonically on 083 458 5677 or;
Tim Fish Hodgson (SECTION27) via email: fish@section27.org.za or telephonically on 082 871 9905