I-Competition Tribunal (“Tribunal”) ikuchithile konke okuhlukile - ngaphandle kokukodwa - okuphakanyiswe amalabhorethri amathathu ahamba phambili e-pathology, ngaleyo ndlela ivumele icala elibandakanya izinsolo zentengo eyeqile yokuhlolwa kwe-COVID-19 PCR ukuthi liqhubeke.

I-Tribunal ilalele izicelo ezihlukile zikaDkt Du Buisson, Kramer, Swart, Bouwer Inc t/a Ampath (“Ampath”), Drs Dietrich Voigt, Mia kanye nozakwethu t/a Pathcare (“Pathcare”), kanye noDkt Mauff AC and Partners t/a Lancet Laboratories (“Lancet.27 November 2”) ngo-24 November

Lokhu okuhlukile bekuphendulwa ecaleni elidluliselwe ku-Tribunal yi-Health Funders Association NPC kanye nezinhlelo zezokwelapha ezingama-36 (“abamangali”), elihlobene nenani okusolwa ukuthi libizwe odokotela bezifo ngenxa yokuhlolwa kwe-COVID-19 PCR phakathi kuka-March 2020 no-December 2021.

Abamangali, abafuna ukunxeshezelwa odokotela bezifo eNkantolo eNkulu, balidlulisele bona icala kwi-Tribunal ngemuva kokuthi iCompetition Commission yalile ukulidlulisela icala. IKhomishana yasixazululela isikhalo nodokotela bezifo ngokusebenzisa izivumelwano zokuvuma ezaqinisekiswa njengemiyalelo yokuvuma yiNkantolo. Ezivumelwaneni zemvume odokotela bezifo bavumelana nokwehliswa kwamanani kodwa abavumanga ukuba necala ngokuziphatha kwabo. Abamangali bafuna incwadi yesimemezelo kwi-Tribunal eqinisekisa ukuthi odokotela bezifo benza umkhuba owenqatshelwe ngaphansi koMthetho Wokuncintisana, owawuzosekela isimangalo sabo sokunxeshezelwa eNkantolo Ephakeme.

Okuhlukile

I-Ampath yaphikisa, phakathi kokunye, ukuthi abamangali bahlulekile ukwethula isizathu esizwakalayo sokuthatha isinyathelo. Icele ukuchithwa kwecala ngokuphelele noma ithuba lokugcina lokuthi abamangali bathuthukise ukunxusa kwabo ngenketho yokufuna ukuchithwa uma behluleka ukuhlangabezana nezinga elidingekayo. I-PathCare ikuphonsele inselelo ukudluliselwa njengokungacacile futhi okubangela amahloni, futhi yafuna incwadi efungelwe yokwengeza zingakapheli izinsuku eziyi-10, kodwa yahluleka yafuna ukuxoshwa. I-Lancet ifune ukuchithwa kwezimangalo ezithile esazisweni sesiphakamiso, nezindleko, noma izinsuku eziyi-15 ukuze abamangali bachibiyele incwadi efungelwe yokusungula, nokuhoxiswa njengenye indlela uma ukushiyeka kungalungiswanga.

Umyalelo weTribunal

I-Tribunal ikuchithile okuhlukile okuhlobene nezimangalo zabamangali mayelana namandla emakethe okusolwa odokotela bezifo, amanani entengo eqile, ukubusa kanye nokulimaza abathengi, phakathi kokunye. Okuhlukile ekufakile kudinga abamangali ukuthi banikeze amaqiniso mayelana nokuqhathaniswa kwamanani namafemu amancane. Ezinxuseni zabo, abamangali baphikisa ngokuthi amafemu amancane akhokhisa amanani aphansi kakhulu kunama-pathologist ekuhlolweni kwe-PCR. Abamangali manje sekumele baqinise lesi zinsolo ukuze odokotela bezifo baziphendulele kuso.

Ngaphandle kwalokho okuchithiwe, i-Tribunal iphethe ngokuthi kulesi sigaba sokuqulwa kwecala, amaqiniso abalulekile adingekayo ukuze kuboniswe intengo eyeqile okusolwa ukuthi asebekwe ngokwanele. Ukuthi leso siphetho sizotholakala sinesizathu yini kuwo wonke amaqiniso yingoba i-Tribunal inquma ngemva kokulalela ubufakazi. Nokho, okwamanje i-Tribunal inombono wokuthi abamangali bawabeke ngokwanele amaqiniso adingekayo ukuze odokotela bezifo baphendule ngalezo zinsolo.

Isinqumo se-Tribunal sisho ukuthi icala labamangali elibhekene nodokotela bezifo sebengakwazi ukuqhubeka nokufanele uma odokotela sebezifakile izimpendulo zabo, njengoba iyale iNkantolo.

Izizathu ze-Tribunal ngesinqumo sayo zizotholakala esidlangalaleni ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, uma noma yiziphi izimangalo eziyimfihlo zezinhlangothi seziqediwe.

Kukhishwe ngu:

Gillian de Gouveia, Umphathi Wezokuxhumana

Egameni leCompetition Tribunal yaseNingizimu Afrika

Iseli: +27 (0) 82 410 1195

I-imeyili: GillianD@comptrib.co.za

Twitter: @comptrib

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