Acting health director-general, Dr Ayanda Ntsaluba, told the Portfolio Committee on Health yesterday that it was intended to introduce three new health Bills during the current sitting of Parliament. These Bills deal with medical aid schemes, medicines control and tobacco control. The three measures have not yet been introduced in Parliament, in spite of the June 30 deadline initially set by Parliament as a deadline for measures to be considered this year.

A draft of the Tobacco Products Control Amendment Bill had already been published in the Government Gazette, and the Medical Schemes Amendment Bill and Medicines Regulatory Authority Bill would still be tabled in Parliament. "We are still sure that we can deal with these bills within the timeframes of the legislature," said Dr Ntsaluba.

The Medicines and Related Substances Control Act of 1997 dealt with much of the draft medicines control programme. The new medicines regulatory bill would continue that programme. Dr Zuma had appointed a task team to investigate how to improve the process of regulating the registration of medicines and medical devices, and its recommendations would be implemented in the new bill.

The Medicines Regulatory Authority Bill would replace the existing Medicines Control Council with a new body, to be known as the South African Medicines and Medical Devices Regulatory Authority (SAMMDRA).

It would have four standing committees – one dealing with the registration of orthodox medicine, one with complimentary and traditional medicines, one with medical devices, and one with veterinary medicines. Different criteria would be applied by these four committees in respect of the medicines for which they were responsible. The chairpersons of the committees would automatically be members of the SAMMDRA board, with a chairman and vice chairman appointed by the minister.

The board would also comprise a representative of the Minister.