Terms of use

1. Introduction

Welcome to the Obesity Health Centre website. These Terms of Use govern your access to and use of this website, including its pages, information, resources, forms and online features.

In these Terms:

• “OHC”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to the Obesity Health Centre and its applicable legal entity;
• “website” refers to this website and its associated pages;
• “user”, “you” and “your” refer to anyone who accesses or uses the website; and
• “healthcare professional” refers to an appropriately qualified and registered medical or allied healthcare professional associated with OHC.

By accessing or using this website, you confirm that you have read and agree to these Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.

If you do not agree with these Terms, please stop using the website.

2. Website owner and contact information

This website is operated by:

• Legal entity: Obesity Health Centre Pty Ltd
• Trading name: Obesity Health Centre
• Registration or practice number: 0441945
• Physical address: Zuid-Afrikaans Hospital, 255 Bourke St, Muckleneuk, Pretoria, 0181
• Email: bariatrics@obesityhealthcentre.co.za
• Telephone: +27 12 346 5639
• Website: www.obesityhealthcentre.co.za

3. Purpose of the website

The website provides general information about:

• Obesity as a chronic disease;
• Medical weight-management services;
• Lifestyle and behavioural support;
• GLP-1 and other medical treatment options;
• Bariatric and metabolic surgery;
• Multidisciplinary healthcare services;
• Patient journeys and educational resources;
• Appointments and consultations; and
• OHC’s healthcare professionals, facilities and services.

The website may also allow you to submit an enquiry, request an appointment, register your interest in a service, download resources or contact OHC.

Unless expressly stated otherwise, information on this website is provided for general educational and informational purposes.

4. Not medical advice

The content on this website does not constitute individual medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, a prescription or a substitute for consultation with a suitably qualified healthcare professional.

Obesity and its related health conditions are complex. Treatment recommendations may differ according to a person’s:

• Medical history;
• Current health;
• Medication;
• Body composition;
• Previous treatment;
• Psychological wellbeing;
• Nutritional needs;
• Surgical risk; and
• Individual treatment goals.

Do not start, stop or change medication, supplements, an eating plan, physical activity or medical treatment solely because of information contained on this website.

A consultation with a healthcare professional is required before individual treatment recommendations can be made.

5. Medical emergencies

This website is not an emergency service and should not be used to request urgent medical assistance.

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, severe symptoms, a mental-health crisis or a potentially life-threatening reaction:

• Contact your local emergency medical service immediately;
• Go to the nearest hospital emergency department; or
• Contact the appropriate emergency number in your area.

Do not wait for a response to a website form, email, social-media message or general enquiry.

6. Medication and GLP-1 information

Any information about prescription medication, including GLP-1 or related medication, is provided for general educational purposes.

Prescription medication may only be recommended or prescribed after an appropriate assessment by a qualified healthcare professional. Medication is not suitable for every person and may involve contraindications, interactions, side effects, monitoring requirements and other risks.

Images of medication, injection devices or medical equipment on the website may be generic or illustrative. They do not necessarily represent a particular product, brand, dosage or treatment recommendation.

References to a particular class of medication do not guarantee that it is appropriate, available or approved for you.

7. Bariatric and metabolic surgery information

Information about bariatric or metabolic surgery is general in nature and does not mean that surgery is suitable for every person.

Suitability for surgery is determined through an individual clinical assessment and may require input from a multidisciplinary healthcare team. The assessment may include medical, surgical, nutritional and psychological considerations.

All medical and surgical procedures involve potential risks, complications and limitations. These will be discussed with you by the relevant healthcare professionals before treatment and will be subject to separate informed-consent processes.

8. No guarantee of results

Individual treatment outcomes vary.

Factors such as your medical condition, adherence to treatment, nutrition, physical activity, psychological wellbeing, medication response, follow-up attendance and other personal circumstances may affect your outcome.

OHC does not guarantee:

• A specific amount or rate of weight loss;
• A specific clothing size;
• A particular treatment response;
• Approval for medication or surgery;
• Medical-aid or funding approval;
• Prevention or resolution of health conditions;
• Freedom from complications or side effects; or
• Any specific long-term clinical result.

Patient stories, testimonials, before-and-after images and examples describe individual experiences. They should not be interpreted as typical, promised or guaranteed outcomes.

9. Appointments and online enquiries

Submitting an online form, sending an email or requesting an appointment does not automatically create a healthcare practitioner-patient relationship or confirm an appointment.

An appointment is confirmed only when OHC or the relevant healthcare professional provides confirmation.

You are responsible for ensuring that the information you provide is accurate, complete and current.

You must notify OHC if your contact details, medical information or appointment requirements change.

Specific appointment, cancellation, payment, refund and non-attendance terms may be communicated separately by OHC or the relevant healthcare professional. Those specific terms will apply in addition to these website Terms.

10. Healthcare relationships and separate agreements

The healthcare professionals displayed on the website may operate through different practices, professional entities or service arrangements.

A formal practitioner-patient relationship begins only when the applicable healthcare professional accepts you as a patient through the appropriate clinical process.

Healthcare services, treatment programmes, surgery, prescriptions, consultations, payments and hospital services may be governed by separate:

• Patient agreements;
• Consent forms;
• Practice terms;
• Hospital admission terms;
• Treatment plans;
• Payment arrangements; or
• Professional obligations.

If there is a conflict between these website Terms and a specific signed healthcare or patient agreement, the specific agreement will apply to that service, subject to applicable law.

11. Fees, quotations and medical-aid funding

Information about fees, packages, payment arrangements or funding displayed on the website may change.

Unless expressly stated otherwise:

• Website prices are not final quotations;
• Medical-aid approval is not guaranteed;
• Benefits depend on the rules and available benefits of the applicable medical scheme;
• Pre-authorisation does not necessarily guarantee full payment;
• You remain responsible for confirming your benefits and financial obligations; and
• Additional providers, tests, medication, hospital services or procedures may charge separate fees.

A formal quotation or financial agreement should be obtained before proceeding with a paid service. Where online payments are accepted, additional payment-provider terms may apply.

Nothing in these Terms limits any rights you may have under the Consumer Protection Act or other applicable legislation.

12. Accuracy and availability of information

OHC takes reasonable steps to provide useful and current information. However, medical knowledge, professional guidance, service availability, team members, fees and treatment options may change.

To the extent permitted by law, OHC does not warrant that:

• All website content is complete, current or free from errors;
• Every service shown is continuously available;
• The website will operate without interruption;
• The website will be free from viruses or harmful components; or
• Errors will always be corrected immediately.

You should confirm important medical, administrative, pricing and appointment information directly with OHC before relying on it.

OHC may amend, remove or update website content without prior notice.

13. Acceptable use

You may use the website only for lawful, personal and informational purposes.

You may not:

• Use the website for unlawful, fraudulent or harmful activities;
• Submit false, misleading or incomplete information;
• Pretend to be another person;
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to the website, its systems or data;
• Introduce viruses, malicious code or harmful technology;
• Interfere with the website’s operation or security;
• Collect information about other users without authorisation;
• Copy, scrape or extract website content on a large scale;
• Use automated systems to overload or disrupt the website;
• Reproduce or commercially exploit website content without permission;
• Infringe OHC’s or another party’s intellectual-property rights; or
• Use the website to send unsolicited advertising, spam or abusive content.

OHC may restrict or block access where it reasonably believes that the website is being misused.

14. User submissions

If you submit information through an enquiry form, appointment request, email or other website feature, you confirm that:

• The information is accurate to the best of your knowledge;
• You are authorised to provide it;
• It does not unlawfully infringe another person’s rights; and
• You understand that electronic communication may have security limitations.

Do not submit unnecessary medical records, identity documents or highly sensitive information through a general website form unless the form specifically requests that information and provides an appropriate secure method.

Personal information submitted through the website will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable law.

15. Intellectual property

Unless otherwise indicated, the website and its content belong to OHC or are used under licence. This includes:

• The OHC name and logo;
• Website text;
• Photographs and illustrations;
• Graphics and diagrams;
• Videos;
• Educational resources;
• Downloadable material;
• Page designs; and
• Other original content.

You may view, download or print reasonable extracts for personal, non-commercial use, provided that you do not remove ownership, copyright or attribution notices.

You may not reproduce, adapt, publish, distribute, sell, license or commercially exploit website content without prior written permission from OHC or the applicable rights holder.

Third-party trademarks, logos and materials remain the property of their respective owners.

16. Testimonials and patient content

Patient stories, testimonials, photographs and videos are published only where appropriate permission has been obtained.

They reflect individual experiences and may not represent the experience or results of every patient.

You may not download, reproduce, distribute or misuse patient images, testimonials or personal stories without written permission from OHC and, where required, the person concerned.

17. Third-party websites and services

The website may contain links to:

• Hospitals;
• Medical schemes;
• Professional bodies;
• Laboratories;
• Pharmacies;
• Payment providers;
• Social-media platforms;
• Educational resources; or
• Other independent websites and services.

These links are provided for convenience and do not necessarily mean that OHC endorses or controls the third party.

OHC is not responsible for the availability, accuracy, content, privacy practices, security or terms of an external website or service.

You use third-party websites and services at your own discretion and subject to their applicable terms and privacy policies.

18. Electronic communications

When you contact OHC electronically, you consent to receiving relevant electronic responses.

Electronic communications may include appointment confirmations, administrative messages, information requests, educational material and other communications connected to your enquiry or care.

Electronic communications are not guaranteed to be secure, uninterrupted or immediately received. You should not use general email, website forms or social-media messages for emergencies.

Marketing communications will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable direct-marketing laws. You may unsubscribe from marketing without affecting necessary healthcare or administrative communications.

19. Website security

OHC takes reasonable steps to protect the website and information submitted through it. However, no website, email system or internet transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

You are responsible for:

• Using an appropriately secured device;
• Protecting your passwords and access credentials;
• Keeping your software and browser current; and
• Avoiding the submission of sensitive information through unsecured networks.

Please notify OHC if you reasonably suspect that the website or your information has been compromised.

20. Disclaimer and limitation of liability

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability or consumer rights where doing so would be unlawful.

Subject to applicable law, OHC will not be responsible for loss or harm arising solely from:

• Reliance on general website information instead of obtaining individual professional advice;
• Delayed responses to non-emergency electronic enquiries;
• Use of an external website or third-party service;
• Temporary website unavailability;
• Unauthorised interference with the website beyond OHC’s reasonable control; or
• A user’s unlawful or prohibited use of the website.

These Terms do not exclude liability for gross negligence, wilful misconduct or any other liability that may not lawfully be excluded.

Nothing on this website limits the professional duties owed by a healthcare professional to an accepted patient.

21. Privacy

Our collection and processing of personal information are governed by our Privacy Policy.

The Privacy Policy explains:

• What personal information we collect;
• Why we process it;
• How it may be shared;
• How long it may be retained;
• How it is protected; and
• How you may exercise your rights under POPIA.

By using the website, you acknowledge that you have had an opportunity to read the Privacy Policy.

22. Suspension or termination of access

OHC may suspend, restrict or terminate access to all or part of the website where reasonably necessary to:

• Protect website security;
• Prevent unlawful use;
• Perform maintenance;
• Comply with a legal obligation; or
• Protect OHC, its healthcare professionals, patients or other users.

Termination of website access does not affect rights or obligations that arose before termination.

23. Changes to these Terms

OHC may update these Terms to reflect changes in:

• The website;
• OHC’s services;
• Applicable legislation;
• Technology;
• Security requirements; or
• Business and professional practices.

The updated Terms will be published on the website with a revised “Last updated” date.

Your continued use of the website after publication of an updated version constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

24. Governing law and jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa.

Any dispute concerning the website or these Terms will be dealt with by a court or other competent forum in South Africa, subject to any rights you may have under applicable consumer-protection legislation.

Before commencing formal proceedings, the parties should attempt to resolve the matter through direct and good-faith communication, where appropriate.

25. General provisions

If any part of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue to apply.

A failure or delay by OHC to enforce a provision does not constitute a waiver of that provision.

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any applicable website notices, constitute the agreement governing your use of the website.

Separate clinical, payment or service agreements may apply to healthcare services.

26. Complaints and contact details

For questions, complaints or concerns about the website or these Terms, contact:

• Obesity Health Centre
• Legal entity: Obesity Health Centre Pty Ltd
• Contact person: Hesme Kruger
• Email: bariatrics@obesityhealthcentre.co.za
• Telephone: +27 12 346 5639
• Physical address: Zuid-Afrikaans Hospital, 255 Bourke St, Muckleneuk, Pretoria, 0181