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Thursday, 26 March, 2026

FOCUS: HEALTH GOVERNANCE

Overdue patient fees climb to billions in Gauteng

Venilla Yoganathan - 0
Overdue patient fees have climbed to a staggering R4.6bn at Gauteng provincial hospitals and, in the case of a private hospital, led to a fight for payment all the way up to the Supreme Court of Appeal which this week ruled in its favour. MedicalBrief writes that in the payment dispute between Benoni's Sunshine Hospital and the Road Accident Fund (RAF) – among the key non-paying culprits at state hospitals too – the court ordered the fund to pay more...
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NEWS UPDATE

Medical aids in 'witch-hunt' of physiotherapists, Pretoria study finds

The processes used by medical schemes to carry out forensic audits on physiotherapists are unfair, suggests a recent study, which revealed troubling ethical and procedural gaps, according to the authors, and which calls for urgent reform. The University of Pretoria research found that practices intended to prevent billing irregularities often leave practitioners fearful, stigmatised and traumatised without proving guilt. The research, led by Lesley Meyer, an extra-ordinary lecturer in the Department of Physiotherapy, explored the lived experiences of physiotherapists who have undergone such audits, finding that these often extend beyond their legal scope and adversely affect the profession. Additionally, the audits...

Momentum to spend millions, hire hundreds, for Bonitas takeover

Momentum appears unconcerned about the NHI or a legal challenge from Medscheme, with CEO Jeanette Marais saying the company will fork out millions and hire hundreds of staff in anticipation of picking up the reins of the Bonitas contract on 1 June, reports News24. Marais said as far as the National Health Insurance is concerned, the government “has realised it doesn’t have the administrative capacity of the private sector”. On the cards for Momentum are 744 new employees and the establishment of 22 walk-in centres to cater to the 750 000 Bonitas beneficiaries who will be transferred to its health administration...

Police officers arrested over ‘Cat’ Matlala health contract

A dozen police officers have been arrested by the National Prosecuting Authority’s Independent Directorate Against Corruption (Idac) in connection with a R360m health contract linked to crime kingpin Vusimusi ‘Cat’ Matlala’s company Medicare 24, reports Daily Maverick. The contract, awarded in 2024, has been at the centre of proceedings of the Madlanga Commission and a parliamentary inquiry into crime networks infiltrating the criminal justice system. The 12 arrests do not appear to include the top police officers named at the commission or in Parliament. Matlala allegedly bribed top police officers, including generals, to expedite the award of the contract. The 12 police officers...

GEMS faces funding shortfall amid union pressure

The Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) revealed a funding shortfall this week of roughly R2bn after healthcare claims outpaced member contributions in 2025, adding to existing pressure from disgruntled unions who are fiercely rejecting proposed premium increases, reports The Mercury. Last year, the scheme paid out more than R67bn in claims, but received only R65bn in contributions, with GEMS board of trustees chairperson Dr Nomzamo Tutu saying this reflects broader pressures in the healthcare sector, where inflation is rising significantly faster than consumer inflation. “GEMS has consciously leveraged its robust financial reserves for the past several years, generating more than R10bn...

Ozempic goes generic for billions of people worldwide

Novo Nordisk is on the verge of losing patent protection for its blockbuster weight loss drug in India, China and several other nations, opening the door for cheaper competing versions, reports The New York Times. This past weekend, the drug, sold as Ozempic and Wegovy, went generic in countries that are home to 40% of the world’s population, significantly lowering the price of a costly medicine that had been largely unaffordable to nearly all but the wealthiest people. The first generic versions are expected to arrive in India as soon as this week, and in the coming months, the generics are...

KZN’s emergency medical services in dire straits

Life support is urgently needed for the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in KwaZulu-Natal, according to a recent report, which found that more than half of of the ambulances had exceeded their replacement mileage, there are more than 300 vacant posts, and the communication centre lacks a computer-aided dispatch system, relying instead on manual processes. In addition, reports IOL, infrastructure in several districts is grossly inadequate: many EMS bases still operate from deteriorating temporary park homes, with paramedics having to contend with shocking conditions. The findings were revealed in the 2025 Health Functionality Monitoring Programme oversight report on the province’s emergency medical...

MP calls for scrapping of costly medical scheme

Members of Parliament and other office bearers should be allowed to choose their own medical scheme, and not be made to sign up for the costly Parmed scheme, according to ActionSA MP Kgosi Letlape. Business Day reports that Letlape is lobbying for an end to compulsory membership of Parmed – which has fewer than 2 500 members – saying members should be able to choose which scheme to belong to, or even opt out entirely. Parmed is a relatively small, restricted medical scheme offering comprehensive benefits widely regarded as among the most generous in the industry. It is available only to...

Hospital patients battling without hot water for three months

Patients at Pholosong Regional Hospital in Tsakane, Gauteng, have been struggling to bath or shower for nearly three months – with visitors having to bring in kettles to heat water for them, reports Health-e News. The 300-bed hospital serves nearly 1m people from Tsakane, Kwa-Thema and Duduza. While the problem of no hot water as well as intermittent supply was initially attributed to a boiler breakdown in December 2025 – which has since been repaired – Gauteng Health blames Ekhurhuleni Municipality for inadequate water pressure. One patient, who was been in hospital since September, says the problem began in January 2026. “I...

Cape dental students protest against delayed lectures

The Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) has denied that dental classes for 2026 have not yet started – despite protesting students saying lectures for Dental Science, Dental Assisting, Dental Technology and other programmes have been delayed, reports IOL. Many of the students, who have been protesting since Monday, say they have been sitting in residence with no academic activity since 2025. They have vowed to continue the campus shutdown until 1 April, or until they receive an actionable response from the vice-chancellor. Although some of the students are due to graduate this year, others are first-year students who have only recently...

Millions diverted from circumcision project to actress and cronies

The Special Investigation Unit (SIU) has revealed that R20.56m in grant funding for a circumcision project from the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) was instead siphoned off to characters and shady companies who had no intention of using it for its intended purposes, reports IOL. Among those receiving the diverted funds were leading local actress Moitheri “Terry” Pheto as well as ex-NLC chairperson Professor Alfred Nevhutanda. The SIU’s senior manager responsible for the probe into the NLC, Mashudu Netshikweta, told the National Assembly’s Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry & Competition on Tuesday that a company called Zibsimode received R20.56m for the circumcision...

US hospital sues to evict patient who won’t leave

Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare has sued a patient who refuses to leave her hospital room, despite being discharged in October, reports AP. The hospital has also asked a state judge for an injunction ordering her to vacate the room and authorising the county sheriff’s office to assist if necessary. It said valuable resources have been diverted from helping other patients because of her occupation of the room. According to the lawsuit, a formal discharge order was issued on 6 October after it was determined that the woman no longer needed acute care services. The hospital has repeatedly made efforts to co-ordinate her departure with...

Citro-Soda recall after possible contamination

The SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has issued a recall on some batches of Citro-Soda Regular amid concerns of possible contamination at a production facility operated by Adcock Ingram, reports IOL. Consumers are urged to check the batch numbers on the bottle or outer packaging and compare them to the affected batch numbers listed by SAHPRA (available via official notices and pharmacies). No widespread harm has been reported, but medical advice should be sought if consumers experience unusual stomach discomfort or nausea or irritation after use, said SAPHRA, adding that no adverse effects are expected and the recall is intended...

Psychiatric patient sets blanket on fire

A fire that led to the immediate evacuation of about 30 patients at Sebokeng Hospital last Thursday was started in a psychiatry holding room when a patient set fire to his blanket, reports TimesLIVE. The room – within the casualty unit of the large 800-bed hospital – was where mental healthcare patients are usually temporarily accommodated while awaiting admission to psychiatric wards when they are full. The Gauteng Department of Health said that no one was injured, but because of the smoke, “as a precautionary measure, more than 30 patients were safely evacuated from the area, including emergency, mental healthcare and...

Judge sets deadline for rules on FMD jabs

As cattle continue to be ravaged by the highly contagious viral mouth and mouth disease (FMD), the Department of Agriculture has been given three weeks to publish newly-drafted vaccine regulations in the Government Gazette, reports Business Day. The interim order was granted by Judge Cornelius van der Westhuizen in the Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) on Tuesday, in a case against the state brought by business lobby group Sakeliga, agricultural network Southern African Agri Initiative (Saai, and commercial farmers’ group Free State Agriculture. They have accused the government of controlling the procurement of the vaccine without having regulations in place, effectively delaying...

MEDICO-LEGAL

Victory for cancer victims as court allows generic medication

The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has ruled that the generic prostate cancer medication Enzutrix will remain available at an affordable price, following a patent battle between the Regents of the University of California (UC), which owned a South African patent for the prostate cancer drug Xtandi, and Eurolab, which introduced the generic product. IOL reports that Eurolab was granted the right to continue making and selling the generic medication after an order by the Commissioner of Patents, which sat at the Gauteng High Court (Pretoria). The court accepted that on the face of it, UC had a right to enforce...

Limpopo Health liable for negligence in bungled birth case

The Limpopo Department of Health has been held liable for medical negligence after a traumatic childbirth nine years ago left a mother with life-altering injuries and her newborn son with permanent disability, reports IOL. Acting Judge Burnett ruled that the Health MEC was responsible for 100% of the damages suffered by both the mother and her child at Donald Fraser Hospital in May 2018. The woman had attended antenatal care at Tshidimbeni and Tshaulu clinics before being admitted to hospital for delivery. Despite being classified as high-risk due to gestational diabetes and indications that her baby was unusually large, staff failed to properly...

Guilty verdict sought as Pretoria midwife denies guilt

Pretoria midwife Yolande Maritz Fouchee's legal team called for an acquittal of charges against her, but the state said it had proved its case and that she should be found guilty, reports The Star. Testifying in the Gauteng High Court last week, Fouchee maintained her innocence in defence of allegations that her actions led to two babies born with disabilities, while one died shortly after birth and another was declared dead at birth. She faces 14 charges, including assault and culpable homicide, after claims that she did not pay attention to the risk factors of several of her clients at her...

TV radiologist rebrands company as HPCSA probe drags on

A Stellenbosch radiologist, once a familiar face after a string of television appearances, has rebranded his company amid a reputational battering linked to an HPCSA impairment probe into opioid abuse and causing a patient’s death as well as separate civil charges of discharging a gun and malicious damage to property. News24 reports that the drawn-out probe by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) into Dr Pieter Henning has yet to be finalised. Keystone Radiology, founded by Henning, had a commercial agreement with Mediclinic and boasted several branches. Its rebranding is part of a “reputational rebuilding” campaign, he told staff. Amid...

SOME RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS IN THE PAST WEEK

PHARMACEUTICAL

Weight-gain fears after stopping Ozempic unfounded – Cleveland Clinic study

Stopping popular weight-loss injections like Ozempic or Mounjaro might not trigger the dramatic kilogram-laden rebound many fear, according to a study of nearly 8 000 patients. The research found that...

CARDIOVASCULAR

Ultra-processed food poses higher CVD risk – US study

In more than 6 500 American adults who showed no signs of cardiovascular disease at baseline, researchers found that higher ultra-processed food (UPF) intake was identified with a greater...

NEUROLOGY

Early promise from Aspen’s personalised Parkinson’s therapy

Aspen Neuroscience said its experimental Parkinson’s disease treatment, made from a patient’s own cells, showed encouraging results in a small study, reports Endpoints News. The clinical trial builds on decades...

TROPICAL DISEASES

Optimism that new drug could end sleeping sickness

Sleeping sickness is a notorious disease – a single bite from a tsetse fly carrying the parasite is all it takes to infect someone. Without treatment, one form of...

VACCINES

Landmark South African study shows efficacy of HPV vaccination

A national HPV vaccination programme can be extremely effective in a high HIV-prevalence setting, a Wits-led research published in The Lancet Global Health shows in the first population-level evidence...

WOMEN’S HEALTH

Early menopause linked to higher lifetime heart disease risk – US study

A recent study has linked premature menopause with a 40% higher lifetime risk of coronary heart disease, also finding that black women were more likely to experience premature menopause...

Hormone therapy after 65 tied to cancer, vascular events – Israeli study

Initiation of menopausal hormone therapy (HT) after the age of 65 is linked to significantly increased risks for cancer and vascular events, new data have suggested after a study...

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