SAMED honours the International Anti-Corruption Day on 9 December and asks South Africans to act on the global theme – “Your right, your role: Say no to corruption”.
In the healthcare space, corruption impacts on morbidity and mortality. SAMED condemns corruption in all its shapes, forms and disguises and stands resolute to do even more to counter unethical behaviour that involves the medical technology sector.
As the voice of the South African medical technology industry, SAMED champions the Medical Device Code for Ethical Marketing and Business Practice and an anonymous whistleblowing hotline as potent instruments to prevent and sanction transgressions.
SAMED salutes Ms Babita Deokaran, who was assassinated for being a whistle-blower in the case against PPE corruption in Gauteng and hopes her legacy lives through improved outcomes from the legal processes that bring the responsible to book and redress to those who have been wronged, and that make the procurement system more resilient to the evils of corruption.
We all have a role to play in bringing this to fruition and fighting the pandemic of corruption. Healthcare workers and patients expect the same ethical principles that SAMED members embody to apply to all who supply medical technology products.
SAMED calls on medtech suppliers, patients, healthcare professionals and healthcare institutions, that is everyone who works within or passes through the health system, to be heroes who join us in stopping this abuse. It’s time to unmask corruption so that the perpetrators can face justice and to deter similar crimes in the future.
