HomeSouth Africa
South Africa
RAF payment problems hit medical experts, endangering practices
Medical experts have been hard hit by the twin forces of Road Accident Fund (RAF) non-payments and COVID-19, potentially making their practices financially unsustainable.
The...
Nehawu threatens nationwide strike and at National Health Labs
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) will launch a national work stoppage on Friday (21 August) and potentially a national strike...
SA's nurses: Poorly trained, in poor health, and living in fear
Most of South Africa's nurses lack confidence in their training, more than 40% have poor health, and a quarter are experiencing severe psychological distress, reports...
Euthanasia doctor struck from NZ register over SA murders
New Zealand-born euthanasia advocate Professor Sean Davison has been struck from that country's medical register for failing to disclose his role in the assisted...
Lockdown likely to be eased another level
A steady decline in the infection rate and other critical indicators have raised hopes that the worst of the pandemic's first wave is over,
Noting...
Islamic doctors warn over home care for COVID-19 patients
The Islamic Medical Association of SA has issued a public warning over home care as a substitute for hospital admission for patients who have...
Head scratching over donation of SA medical supplies to Cuba
At a pivotal juncture in the country’s fight against the COVID-19 coronavirus, when the rate of infections is almost at a peak and healthcare...
Cautious optimism from Mkhize as infection and ICU mortality statistics improve
Despite the coronavirus plateaus in three provinces and dexamethasone dramatically improving ICU survival rates, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has warned that South Africa could...
SA demand soars for plant linked to Madagascar's coronavirus 'cure'
Demand for the leaves of Artemisia afra – also known as lengana, uMhlonyane, African wormwood, and Wilde Als in South Africa – has soared...
Nehawu threatens national strike over lack of PPE
Health workers have threatened to go on a national strike in September, when the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to peak in parts of the...
A 'relentless increase' in excess deaths from natural causes — SAMRC
The SA Medical Research Council's weekly analysis of registered deaths has shown a "relentless increase" on the number of excess deaths expected based on...
Nervous COVID-19 patients want home care rather than hospital admission
Nervousness over overcrowded hospitals has led to a demand for private doctors to create COVID-19 "wards" in patient's homes, reports The Times.
Many patients refuse...
HPCSA deregisters the 'Butcher of Benoni'
A plastic and reconstruction surgeon has been removed from the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) register after he was found guilty of...
CMS rejects practitioners' 'pay in advance' proposal
A proposal by struggling private health sector practitioners to tap into medical schemes funds for advance payments has been turned down by the Council...
SAMA warns that taxi commuters at COVID risk
SA Medical Association president, Dr Angelique Coetzee, has warned that commuters spending more than 20 minutes in a fully loaded taxi, without proper ventilation,...
First antibody test gets limited go ahead from SA regulator
The first COVID-19 antibody rapid blood test kit has been approved for use in South Africa, but, Spotlight reports, it is strictly not for...
Karim warns against political pressure swamping science
If scientists compromise on science and give in to political pressures during the scourge of COVID-19, the pandemic may end up killing more people,...
Hospital beds booked for SA mineworkers filled by others
South Africa’s mines are finding that pre-arranged hospital beds earmarked for mine workers afflicted with COVID-19 have already been allocated, as the country’s health...
SIU probes corruption linked to R500bn COVID-19 relief fund
The Special Investigating Unit's health sector anti-corruption forum has prioritised allegations of fraud and corruption in the region of R3bn related to the R500bn the government...
Cipla brings Gilead's remdesivir generic to SA
Indian drug manufacturer Cipla is set to bring its generic version of Gilead Science’s coronavirus drug remdesivir to South Africa within the next few...
UCT report on 'corrosive' factors around suicide of Health Sciences dean
The University of Cape Town released its report into the suicide two years ago of Health Sciences dean, Professor Bongani Mayosi, reports MedicalBrief. The...
Mkhize warns of 'exponential rise' of COVID-19 infections
South Africa's COVID-19 infection rate continues to rise rapidly approaching an expected “exponential” surge during the latter winter months of July and August...
Row over CMS suspension of black medical schemes' merger
The Council of Medical Schemes (CMS) has stepped in to halt the proposed merger of black-owned Sizwe Medical Aid and Hosmed Medical Scheme, in...
Another R145bn for COVID-19 fight in supplementary budget
Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has made R145bn available to fund the government’s Covid-19 efforts. He said that the allocations had been informed by “epidemiological modelling”,...
First trial in Africa to develop a vaccine against COVID-19
The first participants in South Africa’s first clinical trial that seeks to develop a vaccine against COVID-19 are being vaccinated this week.
The first clinical...
Survey shows that SA doctors are taking psychological strain
A third of South African doctors surveyed by MPS, the international medical defence organisation, have experienced a decline in mental wellbeing as the COVID-19...
Alleged Tshwane police assault on pulmonologist condemned
Professional societies have condemned recent incidences of allegedly unacceptable treatment of doctors and colleagues, at the hands of law enforcement, reports News24. The societies...
Health departments 'still discussing' COVID-19 deals with private hospitals
South Africa’s three largest private hospital groups, Netcare, Mediclinic and Life Healthcare, are still in discussions with provincial health departments to allow public COVID-19...
Private healthcare to take state COVID-19 patients at a financial loss
Private healthcare groups told both houses of Parliament's health committees that the rate the state will pay to take patients from the public sector...
TB/HIV increases COVID-19 risk up to three-fold
People with TB and HIV have a two to three-fold increased risk of dying of COVID-19, although this is still far less risky than...
Lifting of alcohol ban strains provincial emergency departments
Emergency departments in some provinces have come under “massive strain” strain, following the lifting of the ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol.
Gauteng...
Life Esidimeni Hospital: Nehawu 'putting staff and patients at risk'
Management of the Life Esidimeni Psychiatric Hospital in Kirkwood has accused the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) of “storming the centre”...
State sets fees it will pay private hospitals for COVID-19 patients
The Health Department has finalised the fees it will pay private hospitals for severely ill COVID-19 patients, paving the way for the provinces to...
MPs to investigate Health Sciences University appointment of VC
Parliament's Higher Education Portfolio Committee is to investigate the appointment of Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Mbati, who was allegedly appointed to...
Hospital workers increasingly affected by COVID-19
Five health care workers at Durban's King Edward VIII hospital have tested positive to the coronavirus, with two deaths in the past week in the...
COVID ward at Red Cross Children’s Hospital has seven patients
Seven children are in a dedicated COVID-19 ward at the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital in Cape Town, with more possibles awaiting test...
Private practitioners say govt is stonewalling on payments and culpability
Tensions between the SA Private Practitioner's Forum and the government are coming to a head over a dispute about payment and legal immunity when it...
Mkhize: SA faces a critical shortage of test kits and reagents
As an expected spike in COVID-19 cases looms, South African laboratories are facing a critical shortage of test kits and reagents needed to conduct...
Govt tells court tobacco ban is a matter of public health
The government has for the first time published its comprehensive case for banning the sale of tobacco products during the lockdown, saying emerging research...
SA's worst-case COVID model: no ICU beds by June, 48,000 deaths by November
After reluctance to release its modelling data in case it sparks panic, South Africa's Health Department has bowed to pressure and opened up on...