Until recently, SAMED’s Government Procurement and Health Economics & Reimbursement committees had individual mandates; directed at the public and private sector product procurement and reimbursement matters respectively.

Finding that developments in policy and issues affecting the market are increasingly converging, the two committees combined their briefs and teams under the new Market Access committee.

Ongoing priorities that remain, include helping the public sector manage consignment stock and improving tender specifications to include equipment service and maintenance, and tracking of outstanding payments from government and helping to resolve challenges, explains Monica Lucas, the chairperson of the Market Access Committee.

Monica indicated that the secure online system where SAMED members captured outstanding payments from the public sector each month will be refined in order to further align it with government payment processes.

Having successfully implemented a procurement capacity-strengthening initiative in partnership with the Eastern Cape Department of Health and I+ Solutions, the committee has stepped up the engagement with the Gauteng Health Department. In the last two months, this has entailed attending meetings with the department, including the Gauteng MEC for Health Dr Bandile Masuku and the Chief Financial Officer.

These have opened the door for SAMED submitting a quality improvement plan (QIP) proposal to the Gauteng Health Department on how to jointly address challenges that have given rise to the department’s accrued debt. Among these are tender specifications, the correct approach to invoicing and processes that affect the compliance of public-sector procurement with the Medical Device Code. The committee is upbeat about the future prospects for collaboration with the largest procurer of medical technologies in the country.

In terms of the private sector, SAMED is monitoring developments relating to the Health Market Inquiry, which is expected to release its final report on 30 September. It also continues to engage with Discovery in the area of health technology assessments, with the plan to host capacity-building workshops to assist the members with improving turnaround time and the quality of their HTA submissions.

The Market Access Committee is also working with the Gauteng Health Department to present a supplier workshop on the 24th of October. The workshop, which will be open to members and non-members, will cover the following topics:

  • How to Register for E-invoicing, Submit & Monitor invoices & understand the Web board & use it to your advantage
  • Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) at Head Office and Hospital Level (consignment included)
  • How to track invoices & Payment

We encourage you to save the date in your calendar. Official invitations will be forwarded for RSVP.