Breaking News
NHI 'no longer affordable' in the current fiscal environment – Treasury
The government’s ambitious and controversial National Health Insurance plans — which it insists will be implemented come hell or high water — got barely a mention in Finance Minister Tito Mboweni’s Medium Term Budget Policy Statement ...CMSA probe into mass surgery exam failings shows paper was fairly marked
The surgery exams failed by most of the country's final-year students were fairly marked, the Colleges of Medicine of SA (CMSA) says, following a check by the Colleges of American Surgeons, the West African Colleges of Surgeons and a third...
Zim cops ignore court — stop injured doctors' union leader from travelling to SA
September 25th, 2019 Zimbabwean police have prevented a doctors’ union leader, whose suspected kidnapping sparked wide protests, from going to neighbouring South Africa for medical treatment despite a court order, says a Mail & Guardian report. Dr Peter...Gang robs St Augustine's Hospital in Durban
A gang of men overpowered guards at Durban's St Augustine's Hospital before brazenly robbing staff and making off with televisions, cellphones and a microwave in the early hours of Wednesday morning, reports The Times. Netcare hospital manager...Anti-competitive acts in UK to cost SA's Aspen almost R190m
South African drugmaker Aspen Pharmacare’s share price dropped to its worst level in five months, after the company said it had settled with UK competition authorities on an £8m payment, with an additional fine of not more than £2.1m. The...NICD study shows high levels of candida auris infections in private hospitals
A National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) study shows that over two-years, there were almost seven times as many candida auris infections in private hospital patients, as among state hospital patients. Candida auris is a type of...Med students driven to drink by Fees Must Fall protests — study
Fees Must Fall protests drove medical students to drink. Literally. The Times reports that this is according to a study at the University of the Free State (UFS). A third of trainee doctors started drinking more as protests reached their height in...Negligence jailing the 'last straw' for SA obs/gynae profession?
The Gauteng High Court's rejection of gynaecologist Dr Danie van der Walt's appeal against a five-year direct imprisonment for negligently causing the death of a patient, could be the "last straw" for a profession already under siege, experts...
High Court rejects gynae's appeal against 5-years' jail for deadly negligence
April 24th, 2019 The Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) has confirmed the conviction and sentence of five years direct imprisonment for Dr Danie van der Walt, a gynaecologist who caused the death of a woman in labour through negligence. The Health Professions Council...CMS to be probed for maladministration and corruption
The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) is poised to launch an investigation into possible maladministration and corruption at the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) and is likely to extend into the private sector, reports Business Day. The report...Health sector in Tito Mboweni's medium-term budget
The ease with which the Treasury has been able to fund President Cyril Ramaphosa’s promises to fill 2,200 critical medical posts in the provinces, as well as extra beds and line, shows the slow pace of roll-out of the National Health Insurance...Boycotting nursing students: 'The problem is not with us...'
Hundreds of third-year nursing students at Ann Latsky Nursing College in Johannesburg are boycotting their exams after complaining that they were not adequately prepared for the general nursing exam they wrote last week. The Times quotes a student...Former Gauteng Health MEC and others implicated in corruption worth R1.2bn
Twelve public servants and politicians, including former Gauteng Health MEC Brian Hlongwa and current ANC chief whip in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, and 10 private sector companies have been implicated in corruption worth R1.2bn in the...Health Bills gazetted and open for public comment – Motsoaledi
The National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill has been published in the Government Gazette, paving the way for the Health Department to set up an NHI fund that will purchase healthcare services on behalf of the population. Business Day reports that it is...Motsoaledi briefing on NHI and Medical Schemes Bills
Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi is to brief the media today (Thursday) on the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill and the Medical Schemes Amendment Bill. News and analysis will be posted to the MedicalBrief website during the course of the...