Welcome to www.medilean.com (the "Site"). This Site is operated by Medilean ("Medilean, "we" or "us"), and provides information and services related to the Medi-Lean health programme (the "Services"). By accessing or using this Site, you (the "User" or "you") agree to the following Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site or Services. These Terms and Conditions include our Privacy Policy set out below.
The website www.medilean.com and its subdomains and content.
The operator of the Site and provider of Services. Medilean is the facilitator of the Medi-Lean programme.
The medical health programme offered through the Site and by participating medical practitioners, which may include injections, meal replacement products, supplements, and related guidance.
All services provided through the Site, including informational content, online tools, and facilitation of the Medi-Lean programme, and any products or digital services offered by Medilean via the Site.
Any person who accesses or uses the Site or Services.
Any information about an identifiable individual, including but not limited to personal data and health-related information, as further defined in the Privacy Policy below.
You must be 18 years or older to use this Site or participate in the Medi-Lean Programme. If you are under 18, you may only use the Site and Services with the involvement and consent of a parent or legal guardian.
Certain Services may require you to provide accurate personal and health information. You agree to provide truthful, current, and complete information, and to update it as necessary. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any login credentials and for all activities under your account.
You may use the Site and its content for your personal, non-commercial use to learn about and participate in the Medi-Lean Programme. You agree to use the Site and Services only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms.
You agree not to misuse the Site or Services. This means you will not:
The Medi-Lean Programme is a medical health programme offered through licensed medical practitioners and/or pharmaceutical companies. While the Site provides information about the programme, it does not provide personalised medical advice. Any health information on the Site or in the Services is for general knowledge and should not be deemed to be medical advice, and does not replace a direct consultation with a qualified healthcare provider. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider regarding any medical condition or treatment.
All content on the Site (including text, graphics, logos, images, designs, software, and other materials) is the intellectual property of Medilean or its licensors and is protected by copyright, trademark and other intellectual property laws. "Medi-Lean", "Medilean" and associated logos or slogans are trademarks or registered trademarks of Medilean or its affiliates.
Medilean grants you a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use the Site and its content for your personal use in accordance with these Terms. You may not resell, distribute, copy (except for personal use or caching as part of normal use), modify, or create derivative works from the Site content without our prior written consent.
You may not remove any copyright, trademark or other proprietary notices from materials on this Site. Any unauthorised use of the Site or its content terminates the permission or license granted by these Terms and may violate applicable laws.
The Medi-Lean Programme is intended to assist with health and health improvement. However, individual results will vary. Medilean and the participating practitioners do not guarantee any specific results or outcomes. Testimonials or examples found on the Site are for illustration and may not reflect the results that you will achieve.
The products and protocols provided through the Medi-Lean Programme (including but not limited to injections, recommended meal replacements, and/or recommended supplements) are to be used under the guidance and supervision of a qualified medical practitioner. You should follow all instructions provided by your healthcare provider and read all product labels and instructions and it is your sole responsibility to ensure that the advice of your healthcare provider is followed. If you experience any adverse effects or have concerns during the programme, contact your healthcare provider immediately.
Any health, nutrition, or wellness information on this Site is provided for general informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice specific to you. Reliance on any information provided on the Site is at your own risk.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Site and all Services and content are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. Medilean makes no warranties or representations, express or implied, about the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of the information and materials on the Site, or that the Services will meet your requirements or achieve any particular results. We disclaim all implied warranties, including any implied warranties of fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement, except where such disclaimers are prohibited by law.
Your use of the Site and participation in the Medi-Lean Programme is at your own risk. While Medilean endeavors to provide a safe and high-quality service, you agree that, to the extent permitted by law, Medilean and its owners, directors, employees, agents, partners, and affiliates shall not be liable for any loss, injury, or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with your use of the Site or Services, or from any information, content, or materials obtained through the Site.
Medilean will not be liable for any indirect, consequential, incidental, special, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits or revenue, whether incurred directly or indirectly, arising from your use of or inability to use the Site or Services, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.
In no event will Medilean's total cumulative liability to you for any claims arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Site and Services exceed the amount (if any) that you paid to Medilean for the use of the Services in the past three (3) months. This limitation applies to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.
Nothing in these Terms is intended to limit or exclude any liability that cannot be limited or excluded under South African law. In particular, we do not seek to limit liability for gross negligence, willful misconduct, or death or personal injury caused by our negligence to the extent that such liability cannot by law be limited or excluded.
These Terms and Conditions, as well as any dispute or claim arising from them or your use of the Site, are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. By using the Site, you submit to the jurisdiction of the courts of South Africa for the resolution of any legal disputes. If you access the Site from outside South Africa, you are responsible for compliance with any local laws applicable to your use.
Medilean may update or modify these Terms and Conditions from time to time. If we make material changes, we will post the updated Terms on this page and update the "Last Updated" date at the top. It is your responsibility to review these Terms periodically. By continuing to use the Site or Services after any changes are posted, you accept the revised Terms. If you do not agree with a change, you must stop using the Site.
If you have any questions or concerns about these Terms and Conditions, please contact us at info@medilean.com or via the contact information provided on the Site.
All the definitions contained in the Term and Conditions apply mutatis mutandis to this privacy policy.
Medilean respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share your information when you use www.medilean.com and the Medi-Lean Services.
We adhere to the requirements of the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 ("POPIA") and other applicable South African laws that govern personal data and health information, including:
By using the Site or participating in the Medi-Lean Programme, you agree to the collection and processing of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy.
We may collect and process various types of personal information from you:
Name, surname, email address, phone number, physical address, date of birth, identification number, and other contact information you provide when registering or contacting us.
Information related to your health that you provide or that is collected as part of the Medi-Lean Programme. This includes medical history, weight, body measurements, photographs, dietary information, prescriptions, progress reports, and any other health information you share with us or with your Medi-Lean practitioner through the programme. This type of data is considered special personal information under POPIA (sensitive personal data).
When you use the Site, we automatically collect certain information through cookies and similar technologies. This may include your IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, and browsing behaviour on our Site. (See Cookies and Analytics below for more details.)
If the Site offers products or paid Services, and you make a purchase, we might collect payment-related information (such as transaction IDs or partial credit card information through a secure payment gateway) and records of your orders or subscriptions. (Note: We do not store full credit card details on our servers; any payments would be handled via compliant third-party processors.)
Copies of communications you send to us, including emails, messages, or other feedback, and our correspondence with you (for example, inquiries about the programme or support requests).
We will limit the collection of personal information to what is necessary in relation to the purposes described in this Policy. You have the option not to provide certain information, but then you may not be able to fully utilise our Services (for example, we cannot enrol you in the Medi-Lean Programme without health and contact information).
We process your personal information for the following purposes:
We use your personal and health information to enrol you in the programme, facilitate consultations with Medi-Lean doctors, prepare personalised health treatment plans, dispense or deliver prescribed products (through our pharmacy services), and monitor your progress. For example, your health data (weight, medical history, etc.) is used to tailor the programme to your needs and ensure it is safe and effective for you.
We use your contact information to send you important notices and communications regarding the programme. This includes appointment reminders, progress updates, support messages, and responses to inquiries you send us. We may also send administrative emails (e.g., about changes to our terms or privacy policy).
We may analyse personal information (including feedback and usage data) to understand how our Services are used and how we can improve the programme and Site. For instance, we might review aggregated participant outcomes to refine programme protocols or use user interface usage data to improve the website experience.
We may use your information to generate anonymised and aggregated data for research, analytics, and promotional purposes. Such statistics will not identify you personally and does not disclose any of your personal information.
With your consent (where required), we may use your contact information to send you newsletters, healthy lifestyle tips, or promotions about our services or related offerings. You will always have the opportunity to opt-out of marketing communications. If you opt out, we will remove you from our marketing list.
We may process and retain your information as needed to comply with our legal obligations and regulatory requirements. For example:
To ensure the security of our Site and Services, we may process data to prevent fraud, abuse, or unauthorised access. For instance, IP addresses may be used to detect unusual activity and keep your account safe.
We will seek to ensure that we have a valid legal basis (as defined under POPIA or other applicable law) for each purpose for which we process your data (see Legal Bases below).
Medilean will only process your personal information when permitted by law. Depending on the context, one or more of the following legal bases may apply:
In many cases, we rely on your consent to process your personal and health information. By voluntarily providing us with your information, signing up for the Medi-Lean Programme, or explicitly consenting (for example, by agreeing to this Privacy Policy and the Consent Form below), you consent to our processing of that information for the purposes described. You may withdraw your consent at any time (see Your Rights below); however, note that doing so may affect our ability to continue providing you with the Services.
Processing may be necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are a party, or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract. For instance, when you enrol in the Medi-Lean Programme, we process your data to fulfil our obligations to you under that programme (such as providing services, delivering products, or support).
Some processing is required to comply with a legal obligation. For example, retaining healthcare records for a minimum period, or providing information to authorities when legally mandated.
We may process certain information as necessary for our legitimate interests, such as improving our services or securing our platform, provided such processing does not unfairly infringe on your privacy rights. When we rely on legitimate interests, we will ensure that such interests are not overridden by your rights and interests. For example, using anonymised data for statistical analysis or basic analytics cookies might fall under this basis.
Health information is classified as "special personal information" under POPIA, which requires extra protection. We will only process your health-related information with your explicit consent and/or where it is necessary for the purpose of providing health services by healthcare professionals. In particular, Section 32 of POPIA and other laws allow us to process health information if it is done by or under the responsibility of a healthcare practitioner, who is subject to an obligation of confidentiality. The Medi-Lean Programme involves medical practitioners and licensed pharmacists; thus, your health data will be handled only by authorised individuals bound to confidentiality (such as doctors, pharmacists, or nurses involved in your care) and in compliance with the law.
We value your privacy and will not sell your personal information to third parties. However, we may share your information with certain trusted parties in order to operate our business and provide our Services, in accordance with POPIA’s requirements and only for the purposes outlined:
Your health and personal information will be shared with the Medi-Lean doctors or other healthcare professionals who are directly involved in your health treatment. These professionals need access to your data to provide medical advice, monitor your progress, and ensure your safety. All such practitioners are required by law and professional ethics (HPCSA guidelines, National Health Act confidentiality provisions, etc.) to keep your information confidential.
Authorised personnel at Medilean who are involved in administering the programme, such as pharmacists compounding your medications, customer support staff assisting you, or program coordinators, will have access to your relevant information. These staff members are trained in privacy requirements and are bound by confidentiality agreements and POPIA to protect your data.
We use third-party service providers to perform certain functions on our behalf. For example, these may include:
If we deliver products to you, courier or postal services will use your contact details for delivery.
These third parties are given only the information necessary for them to perform their specific services. They act on our instructions and are contractually obligated (through Data Processing Agreements as required by POPIA) to keep your personal information secure and confidential, and to use it solely for the purpose of providing services to Medilean.
In some cases, Medilean may work with partner organisations or practitioners (for example, a network of Medi-Lean clinics or a co-marketing partner). We will only share your information with such partners with your consent or as required to fulfil the services you request (for instance, referring you to a nearby Medi-Lean practitioner). Any partners with whom we share data will be required to adhere to privacy standards no less stringent than our own.
We may disclose your personal information when required to do so by law or if we, in good faith, believe that such action is necessary to:
If Medilean or the Medi-Lean business is involved in a merger, acquisition, reorganisation, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will ensure the confidentiality of your personal information in such an event and provide notice before your personal data is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
In all cases, we will strive to limit the information shared to what is necessary for the specific purpose and ensure that any third party has agreed to protect your information. Where your consent is required by law for a particular disclosure, we will obtain it before sharing.
Like many websites, www.medilean.com uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance user experience and gather data about usage of our Site:
Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device (computer, mobile phone, etc.) when you visit a website. They allow the website to recognise your device and remember certain information about your visit (such as preferences or login status).
We use cookies for various purposes:
By using our Site, you consent to the placement of cookies on your device. You will be presented with a cookie notice when you first visit the Site in compliance with applicable law, especially if any non-essential cookies are used.
You have the right to accept or reject cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. You can also clear cookies from your browser at any time. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our Site – for instance, you may not be able to log in or use some features.
The Site may use third-party analytics tools like Google Analytics. These tools set their own cookies to collect information on user interactions. We use the insights from these tools to improve our service. These third-party services are not allowed to use the information collected on our behalf except to help us conduct and improve our business. However, you can opt-out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on, or by using other privacy tools.
Our Site does not currently respond to "Do Not Track" signals. If a uniform standard is established in the future for how DNT signals should be handled, we will update our practices accordingly.
We will retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required or permitted by law:
Health and treatment information collected as part of the Medi-Lean Programme may be kept for a significant period to comply with healthcare laws. For example, under South African healthcare regulations and standard medical practice guidelines, we may need to retain medical records for a number of years (often at least 5 to 6 years, or longer in certain cases such as where the patient was a minor, or as required by the National Health Act or other laws). We will not keep your identifiable health information for longer than necessary, but please be aware that healthcare providers are often legally mandated to maintain certain records for patient safety and continuity of care.
If you create an account on the Site, we will retain your account data while your account is active and for a reasonable period afterwards if you choose to delete your account, in case you decide to reactivate, or as needed to comply with legal obligations.
We may keep correspondence with you (such as emails or support tickets) for a period of time after resolution, for training, recordkeeping, and to improve our services.
We may retain anonymised or aggregated information (which is not linked to you personally) indefinitely for statistical and research purposes.
When personal information is no longer required for the purpose for which it was collected or to comply with legal requirements, we will securely delete or de-identify the information.
Please note that residual copies of your personal information might remain in our backup systems, but if so, they will continue to be safeguarded and eventually overwritten or deleted in the normal course of our backup retention schedule.
We take the security of your personal information seriously and implement reasonable security safeguards to protect it:
We use industry-standard encryption protocols to protect data transmission (for example, HTTPS for our Site to encrypt data in transit). Sensitive information (such as health data) is stored in secured databases with access controls, and we employ firewalls and intrusion detection systems to prevent unauthorised access.
We ensure that only authorised personnel with a legitimate need have access to your personal information. Our staff are trained on privacy and data protection. We also require our service providers to adhere to strict data protection standards.
Everyone handling personal health information (doctors, pharmacists, and staff) is bound by confidentiality obligations either by law, ethical duty, or contract. We ensure that these obligations are upheld.
We regularly monitor our systems for vulnerabilities and attacks, and we test our security measures periodically to ensure they remain effective.
In the unfortunate event of a data breach or unauthorised access to personal information, we will promptly notify affected individuals and the relevant authorities (such as the Information Regulator under POPIA) as required by law. We will also take necessary steps to mitigate the breach and prevent future occurrences.
While we strive to protect your information, no system is completely secure. We therefore cannot warrant the absolute security of the information we store or transmit. However, we will continuously update and improve our security practices to meet or exceed industry standards.
As a user of our Site and Services, and as a data subject under South African law (including POPIA), you have certain rights regarding your personal information. We are committed to upholding these rights. They include:
You have the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you. We may need to verify your identity and may charge a reasonable fee as allowed by law (for example, under the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (PAIA)) for providing multiple or complex copies. However, we will typically provide the first copy of your data at no charge.
If any of your personal information is inaccurate, out of date, or incomplete, you have the right to ask us to correct it. You can also update some of your own information by contacting us or through any profile management tools provided.
You may request that we delete, destroy, or de-identify your personal information. Upon such request, we will take all reasonable steps to comply, provided that we do not have a legal obligation or other valid reason to retain it. (For example, we might not be able to delete your medical records immediately due to healthcare legal requirements, but we would inform you of such retention and isolate the data.)
You have the right to object to our processing of your personal information in certain circumstances. For instance, you can object to processing for direct marketing purposes at any time, and we will stop using your data for that purpose. You can also object if you believe we are processing data unlawfully or beyond the scope of what is necessary. In some cases, you can ask us to restrict processing while you verify the accuracy of your data or while an objection is being resolved.
Where we process your personal information based on your consent (including explicit consent for health data), you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing done before the withdrawal, but it may mean we cannot continue providing certain Services to you. We will inform you if that is the case.
To the extent applicable under POPIA or other data protection laws, you may have the right to receive certain personal information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and to have that information transferred to another responsible party. (This right may be more applicable to information you provided directly and which is processed by automated means.)
Medilean does not currently make decisions about you solely by automated means (without human involvement) that have legal or similarly significant effects. If this changes, you have the right not to be subject to such decisions without your consent or without a mechanism for human review.
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated or that we are processing your personal information unlawfully, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa). You can contact the Information Regulator at PO Box 31533, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2017, or via email at POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.sa. We encourage you, however, to first reach out to us so we can attempt to address your concerns directly.
To exercise any of your rights, please contact us using the information provided in the Contact Us section below. We will require you to verify your identity before fulfilling any request, to ensure that we do not disclose your data to someone else. We will strive to respond to all legitimate requests within a reasonable timeframe, and at most within the timeframes set by law.
While we are based in South Africa, some of the service providers we use or technical systems (like cloud hosting or email delivery) might be located in other countries. If your personal information is transferred to a country outside South Africa, we will take steps to ensure that the transfer is in compliance with POPIA:
We will only transfer your data to recipients in foreign countries if an adequate level of protection is in place. This could mean the country has equivalent data protection laws, or we have a contract with the foreign service provider that includes protections for your data (such as standard data protection clauses).
In the absence of the above measures, we will seek your consent for the cross-border transfer when required, especially for any sensitive information.
For example, if we use a cloud service or email provider located in another country, we will ensure that your data is protected to standards comparable to South African privacy requirements and that the service provider is bound to confidentiality and data protection obligations.
By using the Site and our Services, you understand that your personal information may be transferred across national borders, and you consent to this transfer in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or other circumstances. When we make significant changes, we will post the updated Policy on this page and change the "Last Updated" date at the top for your reference. In the case of substantial changes affecting the scope of processing or your rights, we will endeavor to provide a more prominent notice (such as a banner on the Site or an email notification of the changes).
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information. Your continued use of the Site and Services after any updates constitutes your acceptance of the Privacy Policy as revised.
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, or wish to exercise your rights or raise a concern, please contact us at privacy@medilean.com (please use the subject line "Privacy Inquiry").
We will be happy to assist you and address any questions or issues you may have regarding your personal information.
In order to comply with South African law and ensure that you fully understand and agree to how we handle your personal and health information, we require your explicit consent. By using our Site or participating in the Medi-Lean Programme, and by signing or clicking acceptance of this unified Terms, Privacy Policy and Consent document, you explicitly acknowledge and agree to the following:
I hereby voluntarily consent to Medilean collecting and processing my personal information, including health-related information, as described above in the Privacy Policy. This consent applies to all activities necessary to provide me with the Medi-Lean Programme and related services.
I understand that my data may be used in an anonymised, aggregated form for research, statistical, or promotional purposes. For example, my information may contribute to overall statistics like total health achieved by all participants, but without revealing my identity or any personally identifying details.
I confirm that I am at least 18 years old. If I am under 18, I confirm that I have obtained consent from my parent or legal guardian to use the Site and participate in the Medi-Lean Programme, and that my parent/guardian has agreed to the Terms and Privacy Policy on my behalf.
I acknowledge that I have been informed of my rights under POPIA and other applicable laws. I understand that I have the right to access my personal information, correct or delete it, withdraw my consent, and object to certain processing, as detailed in the Privacy Policy. I also know that I can contact Medilean or the Information Regulator if I have any concerns regarding my personal information.