MEDICLINIC STATES CASE

MEDICLINIC Southern Africa said while the report maintained that the private hospital market was highly concentrated, it and others had submitted data analyses and studies by expert competition economists which clearly demonstrated that its analyses and conclusions about market concentration were incorrect and outdated.

“The HMI’s findings did not indicate market abuse such as anti-competitive or excessive pricing and profits,” said Koert Pretorius, the chief executive of Mediclinic Southern Africa.

Pretorius said the HMI had also erroneously stated that the three leading private hospital groups were able to distort and prevent competition by binding the best medical specialists to their hospitals with lucrative inducement programmes.

“Mediclinic supports cost-effective quality care and does not condone any treatment that is not in the best interests of the patient,” he said.

Pretorius said Mediclinic did not condone any relationships between hospitals and doctors that did not meet their high ethical code of conduct. “It is important to note that the market context has moved on since 2014; the end date for the majority of data used,” he said.

“Current data must be used to find current best solutions for the unique South African healthcare market, especially as South Africa prepares itself for the introduction of the NHI.”

Netcare said it would not issue a statement yesterday because it was still studying the HMI report.

Life Healthcare could not be reached for comment.