South Africa
First successful SA pregnancy using new procedure
A Durban woman is the first South African to successfully conceive using a new reproductive procedure, using a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection to rejuvenate her ovaries. According to a Post report, Ashlesha Raghubir, 35, and her husband,...Frustrated doctor raises seeks alternative to CMSA exams
A Free State doctor frustrated at twice failing Colleges of Medicine of SA exams is now looking for a foreign qualification alternative but cannot get clarity from the Health Council of SA whether it would be recognised. Phume Peter Moletsane...EC fake doctors facilitated issue of public driving permits
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) says it has cracked down on fake doctors who fraudulently issue medical certificates to motorists needing them to get public driving permits in the Eastern Cape, reports The Times. Spokesperson Simon...Netcare under pressure from prescriptive medical schemes
Private hospital operator Netcare says it is under pressure from increasingly prescriptive medical scheme management and the growth of competing private hospital networks. Netcare said it had seen a healthy 5.6% growth in revenue for the six...'Grossly sub-optimal' SA wins a reprieve from US on HIV/Aids funding
South African Health Department officials have won a reprieve from the US government after it threatened to slash its funding for South Africa's HIV/Aids programmes due to poor performance, reports Business Day. Senior officials flew to Washington...Stellenbosch authors retract 'colonial knowledge' research
The controversial study by Stellenbosch University researchers, which suggests Coloured women have an increased risk for low cognitive function, has been retracted, The Times reports. The highly criticised Stellenbosch University study, Age-...SA regulators derail international clinical trials with permit delays
SA Health Department delays issuing export permits for human tissue is having severe consequences for international medical research trials, with some believing the delays are deliberate, linking to tensions over the the commercial use of human...SA lab service fires suspended CEO and CFO
The National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) has fired suspended CEO Joyce Mogale and CFO Sikhumbuzo Zulu, following "procurement irregularities" worth R200m. News24 reports that Mogale and Zulu were suspended in February 2017. "In essence, the CEO...Stellenbosch backs down over study into cognitive function in Coloured women
In the face of sustained criticism, Stellenbosch University has apologised for the ‘pain and anger’ caused by a study assessing cognitive function of a small sample of SA Coloured women and will now conduct a ‘thorough investigation into...NGOs claim victory over US funding cut to SA's HIV programmes
A plan to cut US funding to South Africa for HIV programmes is likely to be reversed – as long as the quality of services for people living with HIV is increased, say health NGOs. "The turnaround is a major victory for people living with HIV in...Call for HRC and Health Ombud intervention at Gauteng hospital
The Public Servants Association of SA said it was appalled by the inhumane conditions faced by mental-health patients at the Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital in Gauteng, urging the health ombudsman and the Human Rights Council to intervene,...Health workers frustrated by stockouts of DT vaccine
South Africa has been experiencing a protracted shortage of the DT (diphtheria and tetanus) vaccine, starting in late 2018, reports IoL. Frustrated with being given the run-around, a Cape Town school nurse says she’s battling to have her pupils...SA medicines regulator losing battle against illegal cannabis-products
South Africa’s medicines regulator is 'working closely' with the police to clamp down on illegal sales of unregistered cannabis-containing products claiming medical benefits, but has yet to successfully prosecute any companies or individuals...Tired of waiting for NHI and CMS, employers go for primary healthcare plans
Many employers are not waiting for the elusive National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme to improve the health of their workers, absenteeism levels and productivity, reports Business Day. Nor are they waiting for the Health Department and medical...Mediclinic reports falling margins and expects further declines
Private clinic and hospital group Mediclinic International says margins in Southern Africa and Switzerland fell in the year to end-March and will probably decline again in the year ahead. Business Day reports that the group said in a trading update...