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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...
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,...
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...
Battle over SANDF soldiers who 'mutinied' over Cuban medical training
The SA military has defended its decision to fire 35 soldiers for "mutiny", after they refused to report to a Cuban medical training facility...
Critical shortage of nursing staff in SA with qualified staff down 40%
Nursing as a profession is in danger in South Africa, with the delivery of qualified nursing staff in all nursing categories down by almost 40%...
SIU awaits go-ahead to investigate HPCSA over 'cash for qualifications'
The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) is awaiting the president’s go-ahead to investigate allegations that Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) employees took bribes...
CMS 'irritated and disappointed' over Bill that strips it of its functions
South Africa’s medical schemes regulator has slammed the Treasury for not consulting it on the draft Conduct of Financial Institutions Bill, saying it will...
SA will send team to Washington to lobby PEPFAR funding cut
Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi says the government will send a team to the US following an announcement that the US plans to cut...
SAHPRA grants first cannabis cultivation licences
The SA medicines' regulator has awarded its first batch of licences for cultivating cannabis for medical purposes to local companies, reports Business Day. This...
SAHRC says adverse report on Gauteng Health would be 'a waste of time'
The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has announced that it would not issue an "adverse" report on Gauteng Health after a probe into baby...
CMS looking at umbrella fund to help small, restricted schemes
The Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) is considering introducing an umbrella fund to help small restricted schemes pool resources to try to make membership...
SAHRC orders adequate housing for mental health patients
The South Africa Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has ordered the Department of Human Settlements to finalise its special national housing programme for people with...
NHI can now be referred to as 'Ramaphosa-care’ — Motsoaledi
Health minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi says the National Health Insurance may now be referred to as "Ramaphosa-care", as the president is now in charge of...
SA's 'suboptimal' fight against Aids costs it R5bn in US funding
The US plans to cut its funding for HIV treatment in South Africa by more than R5bn, saying the country’s fight against Aids is...
Motsoaledi counsels caution over 'decapitated' baby birth
Following a media furore over a Boksburg baby "born in three separate parts", Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has urged the public to wait...
Medical schemes haemorrhaging money in 'risk transfer’ agreements
Some of South Africa’s best-known medical schemes are losing money hand over fist in opaque “risk transfer” arrangements, in which they pay service providers...
SA ranked as the unhealthiest nation on earth in new index
A new global health index has identified, on 10 key measures, the world's healthiest (Canada) and most unhealthy (South Africa) countries in 2019, reports...
Samwumed to be back in control of trustees tied to troubled union
The medical schemes regulator is backing the curator of Samwumed as he prepares to put the scheme back in control of elected trustees by...
Ramaphosa orders corruption probe into National Health Laboratory Services
President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorised the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to probe the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) for corruption, reports Business Day. The...
Tuks team's pioneering ear surgery at Steve Biko Academic Hospital
Professor Mashudu Tshifularo and his team from the University of Pretoria have developed a pioneering surgical procedure using 3D-printed middle ear bones, for conductive...
Discovery recovers R55m of medical aid fraud in 201
Discovery Health said that its efforts to curb fraud and waste resulted in R555m being recovered on behalf of client schemes during 2018, by...
SA's 'sobering' HIV drug-resistance figures
One in six people not on treatment in a large South African household survey already had drug-resistant HIV and more than half of those...
Life Healthcare diversifying to counter global regulatory pressures
Private hospital group Life Healthcare is pressing ahead with its strategy of diversifying out of its traditional hospital base, in a bid to counter...
Doctors and medical schemes clash over blame for fraud
Doctors and medical schemes clashed in discussions during the Council of Medical Schemes’ inaugural Fraud, Waste and Abuse Summit, which was boycotted by the Hospital Association...
Health Department disowns instruction on turning away foreigners
South Africa's national Health Department has withdrawn its instruction to provinces to charge foreign patients the maximum rate, saying the directive should never have...
Fresh fraud allegations against suspended CMS investigations head
The suspended head of investigations at the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) is facing new allegations that he facilitated the curatorship of a municipal...
R300m for Life Esidimeni families
A sum of R300m has been set aside for families affected by the Life Esidimeni tragedy who pass a verification process by the Master...
SA's ARV deal delivers cutting-edge Tx at a fraction of world price
South Africa’s recently awarded antiretroviral (ARV) tender, worth around R14bn over three years, is probably the biggest change since the single once daily tablet...
Debacle over Chinese medical 'qualifications' of SA students
The Free State government, which funded 44 medical students to train in China, tried to work around the Health Professions Council of SA refusal to recognise...
Motsoaledi: Arrests expected on fake medical negligence claims
A group of lawyers has been milking the state of millions of rands in alleged fake medical negligence claims for cerebral palsy cases. News24...
SA set to carry warning labels on 'junk food'
Packaged food that is high in salt, sugar and fat may soon have to carry warning labels, according to a top health official. “We...
Education Department accuses MSF of ‘skulduggery’
The SA Department of Basic Education has denied claims by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) that the rollout of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services...
CMS decision to allow Discovery Insurance's medical aid product challenged
The Board of Healthcare Funders is 'unhappy' over the decision of the Council for Medical Schemes to allow Discovery Life to offer medical aid products...
Eskom load shedding limiting Gauteng surgery schedules — DA
Gauteng hospitals and clinics have been hit by Eskom’s load shedding in the past week, with some generators failing and operations being cancelled as...
Motsoaledi says he is 'highly distressed' over unpaid junior doctors
Health Minister DR Aaron Motsoaledi says in an Eyewitness News report that he is disappointed and highly distressed that some interns and doctors who...
Confusion over Ramaphosa's NHI remarks in his SONA address
President Cyril Ramaphosa created confusion with a remark about the proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) during his State of the Nation address, health experts...
NHI rollout could cost up to 132,000 jobs, says HASA
National Health Insurance (NHI), which the government is pushing as the solution to South Africa’s health crisis, could lead to the loss of up...
SAHPRA warns on cannabis-containing medicines
South Africa's medicines regulator has warned consumers that all medical products containing cannabis on the local market are illegal, as none have been registered...
CMS to report at last on low-cost medical scheme options
After years of delays, the Council for Medical Schemes is to publish a framework for low-cost medical scheme options next month, says a report...
Competition Tribunal rules against Mediclinic expansion in North West
Mediclinic’s bid to expand into the North West has been dealt a blow after the Competition Tribunal ruled against the private hospital group’s plans...