PAIA Manual

1. Introduction

This manual is published by Docto24 (Pty) Ltd in compliance with section 51 of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2 of 2000 ("PAIA"). It explains what records the company holds, how to request access to those records, and the grounds on which a request may be refused.

2. Particulars of the company

Legal entity

Docto24 (Pty) Ltd

Registration number

To be confirmed prior to launch

Registered office

To be confirmed prior to launch · Cape Town, South Africa

Postal address

To be confirmed prior to launch

General contact

hello@docto24.co.za

3. Head of the body

Name

To be appointed prior to launch

Role

Chief Executive / Director, Docto24 (Pty) Ltd

4. Information Officer (combined POPIA / PAIA)

Name

To be appointed prior to launch

Email

io@docto24.co.za

Phone

To be confirmed

The Information Officer is registered with the Information Regulator and is the primary contact for both PAIA access requests and POPIA data-subject requests.

5. Description of records held

Voluntarily accessible (this website)

• This PAIA Manual
• The POPIA Manual
• The Privacy notice
• The Terms & Conditions
• The About page (entity description)
• The Pricing page

Available on request to the data subject

• The data subject’s own clinical case file
• The data subject’s own SAHPRA Section 21 application records
• The data subject’s own dispensing history
• Audit-log entries that relate to the data subject’s own account

Restricted (refused unless overridden)

• Records belonging to other patients (third-party privacy)
• Internal clinical SOPs and decision frameworks
• Doctor-internal communications and clinical reasoning notes
• Financial, tax, and bank records
• Operator and supplier contracts (commercial confidence)
• Information protected by professional privilege

6. Request procedure

• Use Form 2 prescribed under PAIA — available from the Information Regulator at inforegulator.org.za.
• Submit the completed form by email to io@docto24.co.za, or by post to the address in section 2 above.
• Provide sufficient information to identify the requested records and to identify yourself.
• Pay any prescribed fees per the PAIA fee regulations. Personal requests for your own records do not attract a fee for the first request.
• We respond within 30 days of receipt as required by section 25 of PAIA. The period may be extended by a further 30 days as permitted by section 26.

7. Grounds for refusal

A request may be refused on the grounds set out in PAIA Chapter 4, including:

• Mandatory protection of the privacy of a third party (section 34)
• Mandatory protection of commercial information of a third party (section 36)
• Mandatory protection of confidential information (section 37)
• Mandatory protection of safety of individuals or property (section 38)
• Records protected by professional privilege (section 40)
• Defence, security, and international relations of the Republic (section 41)
• Records concerning research (section 43)
• Internal operations of public bodies (where applicable, section 44)
• Vexatious or manifestly frivolous requests (section 45)

8. Internal appeal procedure

Docto24 is a private body. There is no formal internal appeal under PAIA, but a requester who is dissatisfied with a refusal may write to the Information Officer for reconsideration before escalating.

9. Application to the Information Regulator

Following the 2021 amendments to PAIA, requesters who are dissatisfied with the outcome may apply to the Information Regulator for review (section 77A) before approaching a court. Contact details are in section 11 below.

10. Available languages

This manual is available in English. A translated version into another official South African language will be provided on reasonable request, where reasonably practicable.

11. Information Regulator contact

Authority

Information Regulator (South Africa)

Website

inforegulator.org.za

PAIA enquiries

PAIA.complaints@inforegulator.org.za