SAMA's activities in the highly competitive and extremely complicated private healthcare industry in South Africa are spearheaded by the Department of Private Practice (PPD). PPD derives its mandate from the two private practice committees: the General Practitioners Private Practice Committee and the Specialists' Private Practice Committee. The Department focuses on issues that affect doctors in private practice and strives to improve not only their financial viability but also their quality of life. This is achieved through extensive engagement with a number strategic stakeholders and ensuring that the voice of General Practitioners and Specialists in private practice is duly heard.
The PPD at all times, strives to promote and strengthen the clinical independence of private medical practitioners in South Africa in order to allow them the freedom to provide a world class service to their patients. Fair and equitable remuneration is critical in this regard. PPD is therefore engaged in a number of initiatives that are looking at alternative remuneration models.
SAMA supports the principles of equality under the law, and the right to practice your chosen profession without outside interference. To that end the PPD engages on a daily basis with all the key industry stakeholders such as: the Department of Health, the Health Professionals Council, the Council for Medical Schemes, the Competition Commission, the Board of Healthcare Funders, individual medical schemes, managed healthcare companies, Independent Practitioners Organisations, medical scheme administrators, hospital groups, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and a myriad other organisations in the greater healthcare industry on behalf of our members.
The PPD is tasked with the critical responsibility of continually updating and publishing the Medical Doctors' Coding Manual (MDCM-Previously DBM) and electronic eMDCM. It also provides a forum to address private practice issues through the GPPPC and SPPC, and acts as the operational arm of these committees. We furthermore support our members and contribute to the quality of their healthcare service delivery by providing varied and numerous CME opportunities.
In conclusion the PPD reminds all SAMA members that the only way to bring about change, is by getting involved and to live by the immortal words of Tom Stoppard, "A healthy attitude is contagious but don't wait to catch it from others. Be a carrier."