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News Update
Lifestyle diseases bring down SA life expectancy
Non-communicable diseases are reversing decades of progress in HIV/Aids treatment in South Africa, with statistics released this weekend showing that contrary to global trends,...
Doctor to cough up for dismissing staffer (72) on WhatsApp
A judge has ordered a KwaZulu-Natal doctor to compensate her former employee R120 000 for an age-related dismissal conducted via a WhatsApp message, reports...
Interdict bid against Operation Dudula dismissed over lack of urgency
The Human Rights Commission (HRC) has accused the government of failing to act against the vigilante groups that prevent non-nationals and undocumented individuals from...
Questions after NHLS audit procurement flaws flagged
Weak controls, expired contracts and irregular expenditure have yet again been linked to the Department of Health and its entities, according to the Auditor-General...
Rethink of ‘shaken baby’ diagnosis in death row father's case
A Texas court has issued a stay of execution for Robert Roberson, a man whose 2003 murder conviction has raised serious questions about the...
African babies take a lesson from US soldiers in malaria war
For years, the US military has treated uniforms with insecticide to repel mosquitoes and the malaria they can transmit – and American infectious disease...
Harvard liable for theft of body parts from morgue
A court in the United States has ruled that Harvard can be sued by families who had donated bodies of relatives to the university’s...
Indian firm to buy chunk of pharma giant Adcock
India-listed Natco Pharma has been given the green light to buy a significant stake in Adcock Ingram, with the South African company’s shareholders voting...
Dis-Chem changes boost investor confidence
A new phase of maturity is anticipated for Dis-Chem with its ongoing leadership transition, with experts predicting that the changes could help reignite investor...
Anti-Semitic Facebook posts gets surgeon struck off
An NHS surgeon who posted anti-Semitic comments online after the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war has been struck off the roll, reports The Telegraph.
Dr...
SCA to hear BHF arguments in low-cost options appeal bid
The Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) has welcomed a decision by the Supreme Court of Appeal that will allow it to continue its legal...
Unions demand lifestyle audits for all Tembisa staff
In the wake of the Tembisa Hospital corruption revelations, fed-up unions are demanding urgent lifestyle audits for all employees, and for all implicated staff...
SAMA suspends ties with Israeli counterpart
Healthcare Workers 4 Palestine-South Africa has welcomed a decision by the South African Medical Association (SAMA) to suspend ties with the Israeli Medical Association.
GroundUp...
Public outrage over Eastern Cape hospital's fees for file-opening
A government hospital in the Eastern Cape has ignited widespread outrage after reminding the public on its Facebook page that patients have to pay...
State hospitals 'window dressing' to fake readiness for NHI
In efforts to pass muster from authorities, and obtain certificates of compliance before the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI), government hospitals are...
Free State Health confirms malaria death and cases
A Free State man has died and two other people are receiving treatment after three laboratory-confirmed malaria cases were identified in a single household...
US experts dispute calls for MMR jab to be split into three
A plan for vaccine makers to develop separate shots against measles, mumps and rubella to replace combination MMR vaccines, despite no evidence of any...
AG sounds alarm over NHLS financial audit
Most of the country’s provinces owe hefty amounts to the National Health Laboratory Services, which is still reeling from the crippling cyberattack in 2024,...
Steve Biko staff confirm system collapse after GDoH denial
The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) has denied that patient safety was compromised after a maintenance shutdown affected critical departments at the Steven Biko...
Discovery focuses on sleep to boost members’ health
Research by Discovery Health has confirmed that not only does insufficient sleep harm your health but it also dents your wallet, with three years...
KZN Health MEC cleared of corruption
KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Mngadi has been cleared of graft allegations relating to her family and a loan from state bank Ithala, Premier Thami...
US, Japan scientists win Nobel prize for immune system breakthrough
American scientists Mary Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell – and Shimon Sakaguchi from Japan – won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine on...
NICD urges vaccinations as measles cases continue to rise
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has reported a continued rise in measles cases across South Africa, with Gauteng leading in the number...
Mental health patient tries to set bed alight
A fire was contained in the female psychiatry ward at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital on Monday, Gauteng Health said, when a mental health...
Funding for Scottish researchers will help eczema sufferers
A new technology from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, which it anticipates will “revolutionise” eczema diagnosis and treatment, has secured more than £475 000 for clinical research, reports The...
New MPS framework supports safer AI use in healthcare
A new framework, aimed to help healthcare practitioners in South Africa integrate AI safely and responsibly into practice, has been launched by Medical Protection.
The...
SAHPRA backs safety of paracetamol
The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has confirmed that paracetamol remains a safe and recommended option for treating pain and fever during...
Tembisa tender tycoon now wants R1bn deal from North West
Despite Hangwani Morgan Maumela – the tender don of Tembisa Hospital – being paid R820m in two years through a network of front companies,...
Private healthcare monopolies flagged again in new report
Not much has changed in the private healthcare sector over the past half dozen years, and the absence of regulatory intervention, as well as...
Medical aid premium hikes way above inflation
Medical schemes are to increase their premiums by up to four times the current inflation rate of 3.3% in January, reports News24, with Bonitas...
Lack of security puts Johannesburg clinic staff at risk
Nurses at Jeppestown Clinic in downtown Johannesburg have pleaded for more security, saying one unarmed security guard is inadequate at a facility where staff...
Power shutdown causes chaos at Steve Biko Hospital
Frustrated and angry doctors said an electricity maintenance shutdown at Pretoria’s Steve Biko Academic Hospital at the weekend came without any warning, resulting in...
One ambulance for 50 000 people
Angry and anxious residents say that only one ambulance is working in the Sundays River Valley Municipality in the Eastern Cape, with the Health...
Private sector to bail out NHLS in cancer test backlog
In a bid to slash its overwhelming backlog of cancer tests at its Johannesburg facility, the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) – which receives...
Free healthcare for migrants 'a mistake', says Minister
South Africa’s resources are limited and the government had made a mistake in 1996 in granting services to everyone in the country – whether...
Plan for ‘special Bill’ to plug health funding gap
National Treasury says it is planning to approach Parliament for a Special Appropriation Bill to bridge the funding shortfall in Health and the gap...
SA launches WHO-backed plan to combat rise of counterfeit meds
A national action plan to fight the alarming rise of fake and sub-standard medicines in South Africa will be implemented from next year, aimed...
Big hearts, willing givers, tackle Western Cape cataract backlog
A massive backlog of nearly 500 cataract surgeries in the Western Cape has been wiped out, thanks to the efforts of Gift of the...
WHO warns pollution killing thousands of South Africans annually
The WHO has urged South Africa to adopt stronger air quality standards aligned to global guidelines and accelerate a just energy transition through clean...
Indian court orders handwriting lessons for doctors
Jokes around the notoriously bad handwriting of doctors are common worldwide, but the latest order emphasising the importance of clear handwriting was in India,...