Listed doctors 'confused' over kickbacks

May 12 2000

By Lynne Altenroxel

Confusion over what constitutes a kickback was one of the central themes in interviews with doctors whose names appear on lists kept by pathology giants Ampath and Lancet.

These lists, which record names of doctors receiving money from the two companies, form part of a pile of substantial evidence that the two laboratories were paying doctors in return for test referrals.

The Star can finally disclose some of these names.

Many doctors declined to comment, but several said they believed they were doing nothing wrong.

The payments they received in return for "rent", "staff payment", "drawing blood" and a myriad other reasons were, in several instances, defended as legitimate.

However, the doctors differed considerably on which reasons for payment were legitimate.

Reasons given were sometimes in contravention of the code of conduct of the National Pathology Group.

The Star is in possession of several lists, dating from 1998 to this year, which outline the number of tests referred, the names of doctors receiving payment from the companies, as well as the amounts paid.

Ampath's lists also include the names of people charged with delivering cheques.

Altogether 103 Johannesburg doctors, groups of doctors and clinics are listed as receiving money from Ampath in either cash or cheque form. Eighty doctors are listed as receiving money from Lancet.

It is important to note that the doctors whose names appear on the substantial pile of documents can be cross-referenced to other documentation in The Star possession.

The Star does not imply that the list is complete, nor that all the doctors named are receiving kickbacks. It is merely reproducing the names listed by the laboratories themselves.

The fact that the laboratories were recording names and payments seemed to take doctors by surprise.

Several said they were not aware that the laboratories were keeping such records.

Names have been listed alphabetically in order not to emphasise one doctor over another.

While The Star tried to contact as many doctors as possible, not all of them were called, due to time constraints.

These are the men who delivered the cheques or cash:

Ross Cronje, Ampath area manager

He admitted to delivering envelopes. "I get envelopes. I'm not sure what the contents of the envelopes are. I don't have specifics of any of these things," he said.

Cronje said that, as an area manager, he worked with a lot of documentation and could not be sure "if these things are coming through - it's quite possible".

John Leaman, Ampath area manager

He declined to comment. His name and signature appear on a list of doctors being paid by the Ampath grouping, which describes the delivery method as "per hand".

The list includes details of doctors who are listed by the pathology laboratories as receiving payment for a wide variety of reasons, including telephones, water and lights, groceries, rent, staff salaries and "maintenance"

Acknowledgement to