Founding Statement Of CTEVOR

Commission For The Transformation Of Eyecare, Visioncare And Opticalcare Regulations

It is the opinion of the Commission for the Transformation of Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare Regulations that the Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare sector needs to be transformed to achieve the following objectives:

1. Equity
2. Competitiveness
3. Access

To elaborate on these objectives, we state the following:

Equity

1. At the moment the Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare sector is controlled by a small group of less than 8000 people whom, collectively, have the sole monopoly over the sale of Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare products and services to the public of some 60 million people. That is a ratio of 1 Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare practitioner for every 7500 South Africans.


2. At the moment there are a limited number of training facilities that produce Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare practitioners, with small classes in each year and high costs of training. However, the state-subsidised training programs do not prevent South African trained Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare practitioners from emigrating to the developed world in search for more lucrative employment and practice.


3. At the moment the cost of providing Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare products and service inputs to these less than 8000 Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare practitioners is very low, compared to the output pricing of Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare products and services to the patients, whom are the general public.


4. At the moment the average Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare practitioner, who is not employed by the state, is not very busy on a daily basis, with very few seeing 15 patients a day or more in their private practices, unless they are doing things which are unethical, or in some cases illegal.

Competitiveness

1. We want a competitive Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare sector that enables ordinary people to be able to actually afford Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare products and services without incurring overburdensome debt and without depleting their allocated medical scheme benefits.


2. We do not see the National Health Insurance Service as a solution to the problem of the lack of competitiveness in the Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare sector; as this will mean simply a new, albeit lower, tariff to compete against the established sector-wide tariff that exists currently.


3. We believe that in other countries which allow non-profit and for-profit companies to provide Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare products and services, by employing Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare practitioners (whom are all qualified and registered to practice) there is a greater state of competitiveness in the retail segment of the Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare sector.


4. We hold that competitiveness is meaningless in the Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare sector unless professional services are provided by qualified and registered Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare practitioners. At present there are unqualified and unregistered persons, working under the aegis of qualified and registered practitioners, who are providing Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare services to patients, whom are the general public. We do not seek to remove, in any way whatsoever, the role of Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare practitioners from the ambit of the provision of Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare products and services to patients, whom are the general public.

Access

1. Firstly, we want more training institutions for the producing of Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare practitioners, so that South Africa becomes an international hub for the training of Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare practitioners, not just on the African continent, but throughout the world.


2. Secondly, we want ordinary people to have access to Eyecare, Visioncare and Optical products and services in the municipal wards where they live; so that they don’t have to travel great distances to access the ability to see clearly and comfortably.


3. Thirdly, we want greater integration in the supply and value chain of the Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare sector so that the retail prices of Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare products and services can be reduced, not just through competition, but through the benefits of vertical and lateral integration in the supply and value chain.


4. Finally, we want every Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare practitioner to be very busy, seeing legitimate patients, providing high quality products and services, and practicing their professions ethically and legally, all day, every day.

Submission

We humbly submit that the Commission for the Transformation of Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare Regulations will work with any and all legitimate stakeholders to achieve a dispensation that affirms the constitutional rights of every South African to Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare; so that they may see clearly and comfortable, as a sine qua non for their success in life; whether as learners, students, young adults, adults, the elderly or those afflicted by Eyecare, Visioncare or Opticalcare related pathologies.

Declaration

So stated at DURBAN, on the 3rd July 2023 by the Commission for the Transformation of Eyecare, Visioncare and Opticalcare Regulations (CTEVOR).

Durban wins with Durban Optical and CTEVOR. Perfect Vision for a Perfect World. www.ctevor.com

Perfect Vision for a Perfect World