South Africa
The 20 Life Esidimeni patients still missing are 'probably dead'
Gauteng Health still cannot locate 20 state mental health patients it removed from Life Esidimeni facilities almost three years ago and they are "probably dead", says the Democratic Alliance. Bhekisisa reports Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng MPL...Hospital will ponder doctor's 'white mentality' comments
Bela Bela Hospital management said it would reflect on allegedly racist comments made by a doctor to Democratic Alliance (DA) MP and spokesperson for health in Limpopo Lindy Wilson, reports News24. The doctor lashed out at Wilson during the party's...SA could see more cases of swine flu this season
According to a Weekend Argus report, local health authorities are predicting that South Africa is not likely to have the virulent H3N3 flu virus that has hit the northern hemisphere, but could see more cases of swine flu. The Western Cape Health...37,000 public health sector posts remain unfilled
South Africa has not filled over 37,000 posts in the public health sector, according to monitoring by the the Treatment Action Campaign. A Free State spokesperson said pressure groups such the TAC were not helpful as they 'fail to appreciate'...NHI Bill could push more anaesthetists to leave SA
Data shows that almost a fifth of the country’s 2826 specialist anaesthesiologists are “vulnerable to move or leave South Africa” and, says the SA Society of Anaesthesiologists (SASA), there is concern that the release of the National Health...Durban's private hospitals top Discovery's patient survey
Durban has six and Cape Town three of SA's top 20 private hospitals, out of 140 rated in the annual Discovery Health patient survey. The Times reports that Cape Town has the second highest number of these hospitals with three. Johannesburg‚...Women wanting abortions sleep on pavement at Addington
Women wanting abortions have resorted to sleeping overnight on the pavement outside Durban’s Addington Hospital because the unit treats only 10 women a day, on a first-come, first-served basis. But, says a Sunday Tribune report, this is not...Overwhelming satisfaction with SA public healthcare services
Statistics South Africa says that 81% of households using public healthcare services in 2017 were either "very satisfied" or "satisfied" with the provisions they receive at public facilities. News24 reports that this follows the completion of Stats...Law firm that advised Gauteng Health on Esidimeni earned R103m
Gauteng Health paid R174,000 to the law firm that gave legal advice to terminate the Life Esidimeni contract for mental health patients, a decision that led to huge trauma and the deaths of at least 144 patients who died after being moved to...Criminal charges for protesters who trashed hospital
CCTV camera footage is being scrutinised by police to identify the perpetrators who caused damage estimated at R3m plus during violent protests at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital over the last two months. The Times reports that this was...SA med students complain that Russian education sub-standard
A group of 53 Mpumalanga medical students thought they would get top-class education in one of Russia’s universities but, says a City Press report, they now have to read material sourced from Wikipedia and Google. The report says the situation...ASSAf wants 'reconceptualising' of health education
There is a need to regulate the health care profession to ensure equity, the Academy of Science of SA said in the report into the challenges facing health education in South Africa. According to a Pretoria News report, the ASSAf study looked at,...DA demands commission of inquiry into state of public health
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to establish a judicial commission of inquiry into the state of public healthcare, after its random survey of hospitals and clinics revealed significant gaps in patient care....Under-fire Motsoaledi deploys 200 in nationwide intervention
Stung into action by mounting warnings of systemic collapse, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi in the past week despatched 200 ministry officials to hospitals nationwide, to address management failures. News24 reports that when outlining his plan...HPCSA warns on locums following arrests of 'illegals'
Medical practitioners in private practice using locums when they are not available to practice are urged to ensure that the contracted locum are registered with the Health Professions Council of SA (HPCSA) in compliance with the Health Professions...