Weekly Roundup
SA has 20% fewer oncologists than two years ago
According to the 2018 annual census of clinical and radiation oncologists conducted by the South African Society of Clinical and Radiation Oncology, although the number of oncologists in the country had decreased, the rate had decelerated – from a...WHO sketches dire state of mental health treatment in SA
Chances are, in South Africa, if you’re suffering from a serious mental illness you will struggle to see a psychiatrist. City Press reports that at 1.52 psychiatrists per 100,000 population, the reality is that many patients will rarely be seen by...Motsoaledi task team to tackle Durban hospital monkey problem
Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi has appointed a task team to urgently tackle an invasion of monkeys at Durban's RK Khan Hospital, reports The Times. Motsoaledi flew to Durban to conduct a site visit at the state facility, which has long been...Eastern Cape Health places jobs on the line with non-payment of suppliers
The Eastern Cape Health Department is placing thousands of jobs on the line by not paying their suppliers on time, with debts in excess of 30 days amounting to close on R1bn by the middle of the financial year. Jane Cowley, shadow minister of...Wits RHI launch Africa's first HPV vaccine impact evaluation project
Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute is the successful recipient of two awards from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia for over the next five years. These will fund a study...Joint SA pharma advisory on risks with quinolone and fluroquinolone
An advisory from Aspen Pharmacare, Bayer, Fresenius Kabi, Ranbaxy (SA), Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals and Zentiva South Africa, has noted risks associated with systemic and inhaled quinolone and fluoroquinolone antibiotics. The advisory says: “In...Doctors must not work until they are paid – Sama
The South Africa Medical Association (Sama) has called on all doctors and other healthcare professionals who have not yet received their salaries to not report to work until they are paid. The association's Dr Rhulani Ngwenya says in an...SA increases spend on HIV but condom access plummets — Health Barometer
While South Africa has increased HIV spending at district level with stellar results, access to condoms has plummeted, Health-e News reports, according to the latest District Health Barometer (DHB). District health expenditure on HIV has more than...American College of Radiology accreditation first for Jhb practice
A Johannesburg radiology practice has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation for its mammography imaging service following a recent review by the American College of Radiology (ACR). Parklane Radiology in Johannesburg, has been awarded a...Governments failing to curb 'big food' fuelling obesity — Lancet Commission
Malnutrition, which includes both obesity and under-nutrition, is the leading cause of poor health around the world, and the culprits for the costly obesity epidemic aren’t individual couch potatoes. Instead, Health-e News reports that, according...
Durban methadone projects eyes national rollout
February 6th, 2019 The pioneers of a pilot project in Durban aimed at helping heroin drug users are currently in talks with the Health Department about a national roll-out, says a Daily News report. The project, run by the Durban University of Technology’s Urban...HPV vaccine critical to protect against cancer in poorer countries
A vaccine given to girls to protect them against a virus that causes cervical cancer is a critical health tool and access to it should be scaled up as swiftly as possible, especially in poorer countries, Reuters Health reports cancer experts have...FDA carcinogen-related recalls could cause shortages of hypertension drug
Additional shortages of blood pressure drugs in the US are possible following recent recalls related to traces of a probable carcinogen found in some versions a particular class of hypertension medicines, the US Food and Drug Administration is...SA's orthopaedic surgeons to benefit from Cape 3D printing laboratory
Orthopaedic surgeons in South Africa will be able to plan and practise a lot better for procedures, thanks to 3D printing. The Mercury reports that with the support of the faculty of medicine and health sciences, doctors at Stellenbosch University...Bogus doctor to appear in Joburg court over illegal medical centre
A 45-year-old man is expected to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court after he was found allegedly operating an illegal medical centre in Hillbrow. According to a Sowetan report, he was also allegedly dispensing medicine belonging to the...