Juta MedicalBrief

The Government Employees Medical Scheme says its request for a lower increase in contributions has been rejected, with the expected and more acceptable 7.5% hike from 1 July having been turned down by the Council for Medical Schemes, reports News24. Now, staff will be hit with a whopping 9.5% increase instead. The original 9.8% weighted average increase for 2026 was essential to ensure its long-term financial sustainability, GEMS had said at the time, but then it slashed this when the Public Servants Association (around 245 000 current and former government workers), slammed the adjustment, dropping it down to 9.5% with...

Pretoria pharmacy iDexis has said it will be taking legal advice after the High Court order to stop producing weight-loss medicines containing semaglutide – a decision that was welcomed by Novo Nordisk, reports Business Day. Meanwhile, it has issued a notice to pharmacies saying its semaglutide is out of stock. The ruling had dealt another blow to iDexis, coming on the heels of an order last month from the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) to recall its compounded products containing semaglutide and tirzepatide over safety concerns. In a joint statement issued with the South African Pharmacy Council in late May,...

None of the people already linked to the R288m SAPS Medicare24 tender corruption case has approached the state to negotiate a plea deal yet, according to the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), which told EWN that more names could be added to the list. Henry Mamothame, IDAC’s spokesperson, said some of those already before the court may also be looking at additional charges. Currently, 12 senior police officers, including suspended Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola and two company directors, are facing charges that include corruption and money-laundering in connection with the tender. Alleged criminal kingpin Vusimuzi Matlala appeared in the Specialised Commercial Crimes...

The absence of permanent CEOs at state hospitals across South Africa is alarming, with Gauteng alone having 13 out of 37 facilities headed by people in acting positions – one for more than five years, according to provincial Health MEC Faith Mazibuko. TimesLIVE reports that countrywide, more than 50 public hospitals are operating without permanent CEOs, with provinces saying budget cuts and austerity measures are mainly to blame. The information was revealed by Mazibuko in a written reply to a question from DA MPL Jack Bloom in the provincial legislature. Gauteng Health spokesperson Steve Mabona cited fiscal restraints as a reason, in many...

South Africa’s much stalled and controversial Bill that plans to enforce stringent regulations on tobacco use and the vaping industry is showing signs of movement after the Portfolio Committee on Health voted in its favour last week, reports News24. However, minor tweaks and adjustments are likely to be considered by MPs, who believe that some clauses, like the punishment for smokers and vapers disturbing neighbours, and possible harsh prison time of 20 years for some infringements, need more scrutiny. Originally introduced to Parliament in 2022, the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill has drawn flak for its penalties, the...

A four-year-old boy from Verulam, outside Durban, died last week hours after being treated for a cough, said his mother, who is waiting for post-mortem results before she decides whether or not to pursue a case of medical negligence, reports THE POST. Nerissa Rosendaw (35), said her son Altaio ‘Tuti’ Jordan had recovered from flu-like symptoms he had been experiencing for a fortnight, but when his cough persisted, she took him to their family doctor last Wednesday. “The doctor said he was suffering from a bronchospasm attack. We did not think it was serious as he had recovered from the flu and was...

The findings of investigations into the deaths of several former medical staff from KwaZulu-Natal state hospitals were to be discussed this week at a presentation by the Health Ombud after complaints from Health Minister Aaron Motosoaledi and Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, former chairperson of the parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health, reports The Citizen. The deaths sparked national outrage and raised serious concerns about working conditions in the province’s public health sector. Ombud Professor Taole Mokoena’s probe was prompted by widespread public concern and extensive media reports of the deaths, the most high-profile cases being that of Dr Alulutho Mazwi (25), a medical...

Uganda, which is struggling to contain the threat of what is already the third-largest Ebola outbreak on record – centred in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – now faces the risk of Marburg virus, another deadly filovirus disease, reports Healthandme. Although the country has not yet publicly declared an outbreak, it formally reported a suspected case to the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday, according to a STAT News report. The previous day, the US Embassy in the capital, Kampala, also issued a health alert as a level four travel advisory, warning Americans not to travel to Uganda. The country has extensive...

The Africa Centre for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) says that the majority of people testing positive for Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo are not on health workers’ radars, suggesting that contact tracing is lagging dangerously behind, reports The New York Times. “If we don’t stop this outbreak now, it will be the largest outbreak ever,” said Dr Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa CDC. The first step to breaking the chain of transmission is identifying anyone who has been in contact with an infected patient, enabling health workers to monitor them, test them if they develop symptoms, and...

An inquiry into NHS England’s biggest ever maternity scandal has revealed that more than 500 mothers and babies came to harm or died because of inadequate care at the Nottingham Trust, reports The Guardian. A total of 444 women and 76 newborn babies suffered “potentially avoidable” outcomes because of substandard treatment over 13 years from Nottingham University Hospitals NHS trust (NUH), according to the report led by childbirth expert Donna Ockenden. The 401-page document paints a horrendous picture of maternity care at its two hospitals – Queen’s Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital – where “multiple” women experienced dangerously poor and sometimes “cruel”...

Nearly 500 people have been charged by the US Justice Department after a two-week healthcare fraud crackdown that officials say involved more than $6.5bn in false claims submitted to insurers, reports AP. Among the 455 facing criminal charges is a nurse practitioner who allegedly billed Medicare for unnecessary wound-care procedures and blew the proceeds on fancy jewellery and luxury cars; a mental health company owner who apparently targeted the homeless by billing for crisis stabilisation services they did not receive; and a hospice owner alleged to have paid kickbacks to a funeral home employee for information about deceased Medicare beneficiaries. A...

Last week’s United Nations High-Level Meeting on HIV/Aids concluded with an overwhelming majority of member states adopting a new political declaration and a reaffirmed commitment to ending Aids as a public health threat by 2030. South Africa’s Health Minister Aaron Motsoaedi said the country ”remains firmly committed to ending the disease as a public health threat and ensuring no one is left behind in the next phase of the response”. He added that the declaration sent a clear message. “HIV remains one of the defining health and development challenges of our time, and the world cannot afford complacency. We leave New...

A Michigan couple whose seven-year-old son, weighing more than 115kg, died of heart disease have been charged with second-degree murder, torture and three counts of second-degree child abuse. Jessica O’Brien (41) and Damien O’Brien (40) were arrested last week in connection with the 2025 death of their son, Casper O’Brien, PEOPLE reports. According to court documents, at the time of his death, the child was “immobile” because his parents failed to provide him with proper nutrition, failed to take him to the doctor for treatment even though the family had health insurance, failed to provide an exercise regimen to help him,...

Speculation is rife in the United States that President Donald Trump – who is allegedly being seen by 22 doctors – might be taking Eli Lilly’s obesity drug retatrutide, reports Huff Post. The medication, which has not yet been approved by the FDA, is an experimental “triple-G” treatment to regulate appetite, increase fat metabolism, and improve insulin sensitivity. It is in late-stage phase 3 clinical trials and has shown promise for producing significant weight loss and treating metabolic diseases. According to reports, one 79-year-old man in the country was granted FDA access via “compassionate use” to the drug, and allegedly, the...

Billionaire Johann Rupert’s South African investment vehicle, Remgro, has officially taken full control of Mediclinic Holdings’ Southern Africa business unit, signalling the end of a complex deal with Luxembourg-based Investment Holding Limited (IHL) to divide their shared stakes in the business, reports Daily Investor. First announced in December 2025, the transaction has complied with multiple regulatory hoops in South Africa and Europe to reach completion. Previously, Remgro and IHL were co-shareholders in Mediclinic Holdings, each holding 50% of the healthcare giant, but announced in December that they had reached an agreement to split their stakes. This transaction sees Remgro owning 100% of...

India’s Health Ministry has issued new regulations for over-the-counter syrup-based medicines – including cough mixture – which are now banned from sales without a doctor’s prescription, reports THE POST. The legislative amendments are aimed at strengthening regulatory oversight of syrup formulations, and “to align the exemption framework with current public health and safety requirements”. The move comes after the government removed the word “syrups” from a category of exempted drugs under Schedule K, firming up regulatory oversight of such formulations. The change will improve control over the manufacture, sale and distribution of syrup formulations. “Schedule K” of the Drugs Rules, 1945 contains categories...

Egyptian human rights groups have condemned the arrest of a former doctor – later released on bail – after she had posted testimony on social media detailing obstetric violence and mistreatment of women at a university hospital in Alexandria, where she had previously trained as a medical resident, reports The Associated Press. The activists said that obstetric violence has long been common at hospitals offering free or low-cost medical services, and even at some private medical facilities. Authorities had raided the home of Omnia Swaydan in the evening when she was alone and taken her into custody, said Asmaa Naeim, a lawyer following...

The United States Supreme Court has restricted a massive wave of lawsuits claiming manufacturer Monsanto had a duty to warn consumers of alleged cancer risks from weed killer Roundup, reports The Washington Post. At stake are billions of dollars, the fate of tens of thousands of lawsuits filed by cancer victims, and the future of a herbicide farmers say is crucial to the nation’s food supply but which health groups say is dangerous. In a 7-2 decision, the court ruled that federal law pre-empts cancer victims from bringing lawsuits against Monsanto in state courts, where most such claims are filed, and...