Health

 

Cancer crisis: Where are South Africa’s radiation oncologists?

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Everyone knows about KZN’s cancer crisis but no one is talking about the other provinces that operate on just one radiation oncologist – or less…

There is not a single radiation oncologist left in Limpopo or Mpumalanga, according to an annual survey conducted by the South African Society of Clinical and Radiation Oncology.

In fact, half the country’s provinces may be relying on just nine radiation oncologists in Gauteng as cancer services in five provinces buckle.

Gauteng has long been a beacon of hope for cancer patients, catering for the sickest of the sick from across almost half the country — but what happens when Gauteng oncology services begin to fail?

Meanwhile, a lone specialist in the North West caters for 3.7-million people as four provinces are forced to send patients to Gauteng.
There is not a single radiation oncologist left in Limpopo or Mpumalanga, according to an annual survey conducted by the South African Society of Clinical and Rad
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Two major medial aid changes in 2017 that you need to know about

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The National Treasury has introduced two new The National Treasury has introduced two new medical scheme regulations which will see a limit on the amount of gap cover and hospital cash-back policies you can claim, as well as the discontinuation of all primary healthcare policies.

This is an effort to differentiate between “medical scheme products” and “health insurance”, both of which are regulated by separate Acts causing confusion in the medical arena.

The regulations, which were demarcated in terms of the Long-term and Short-Term Insurance Acts, will come into effect as of 1 April 2017 for new policies and retrospectively from January 2018 for existing policies.

Gap Cover and cash-back plans

The new regulations stipulate that hospital cash-back plans are limited to paying their clients a maximum of R3,000 per day, or a total lump sum of R20,000 per year. Currently there are no limits in place for these payments.

Gap cover policies will now als
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TEMBISA HOSPITAL – WOMAN WITH BROKEN LEGS STILL NOT TREATED AFTER 3 WEEKS

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The woman was involved in a car accident at the end of April and has been in leg casts at the hospital since.

Eyewitness News has learnt that a woman who was admitted to the Tembisa Tertiary Hospital with two broken legs about three weeks ago has still not been treated.

The woman was involved in a car accident at the end of April and has been in leg casts at the hospital since.

The facility says one of the two operating machines has been out of order and doctors are battling to clear the backlog.

The hospital’s Chief Executive Dr Lekopane Mogaladi said: “The numbers that are coming have actually increased. We are managing to see them. In terms of P1, we see them within five minutes. The ones who are taking too long might be the P2 and P3, [they are] people with a longer waiting period. But it’s still within the framework of the provincial benchmark.”

He says the hospital also has an issue with CT scanners.

By: EWN

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New medicines law will change rules on medical devices.

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When the amendments to the Medicines and Related Substances Act come into operation, it will result in significant changes to the regulatory regime currently in place.

According to guidelines issued by the department of health and Medicines Control Council (MCC), the new regulations will apply to the manufacturing, importing, exporting and distribution of medium- and high-risk medical devices.

Although proposed licensing requirements will apply to local companies, foreign manufacturers exporting to South Africa will also be affected. “As it stands, the MCC is only responsible for managing the introduction of medicines in all forms into the local supply chain,” says Graham Anderson, Profmed’s CEO and principal office.

Imported devices will also come under scrutiny

He says if the new rules come into play, all medical devices brought into the country will also be properly regulated. “The definition of medical devices in the proposals i
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Tax claims for your Medical Expenses

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Putting in a claim for your medical expenses can be tricky when filing your tax returns.

I’d like to know if one can claim for medical expenses:

1. If medical aid doesn’t cover for the expenses paid; and

2. What if medical aid is exhausted and I pay out of my pocket, can I claim for that as well?

Piet Nel from the SA Institute of Tax Professionals responds:

The issue is whether or not it is qualifying medical expenses as defined in section 6B for purposes of the medical rebate.

We accept that, if the individual was a member of a medical scheme, it may not have been covered in full. This may be because this is something which is elective and not usually covered by the medical schemes or because it exceeded the value of the amount covered by the scheme.

It may also not qualify as a “relevant health service” in terms of the definition in the Medical Schemes Act, 1998. The Income Tax Act, however, doesn’t refer to this.

The section
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New Act could redress medical scheme sustainability issues

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Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has hinted at a number of reforms that directly address challenges of sustainability that the medical schemes industry is currently facing.

“We know that rising costs in healthcare are outstripping inflation, and legislated steps to address this are overdue. The proposals will usher in a new set of rules for how medical schemes operate,” says Mark Arnold, principal officer of Resolution Health Medical Scheme.

“While the details of how uniform tariffs for healthcare providers will be arrived at are not expected to be addressed in the Medical Schemes Amendment Bill, but rather will be informed by the outcome of the Competition Commission’s Health Market Inquiry, this is an important step towards protecting healthcare consumers.”

Looking for a affordable Medical Aid or Hospital Plan, just click here Medical Aid or just
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Deceased child’s body missing – Grieving family wants answers

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There still have not been any developments in the case of the baby’s body which went missing from the Pinetown mortuary.

The Daily News had on the plight of a distraught couple whose 7-month-old boy Sikhosana Mosemene had died suddenly on March 26 at a local informal day-care centre and whose body went missing from the mortuary.

The provincial Department of Health’s response yesterday has been disputed by frustrated father Seboda Mosemene.

Ncumisa Mafunda, department spokesperson, said the department was aware of the matter and was “extremely concerned”.

“Although the matter is also under investigation by the police, the department is carrying out its own continuous internal investigation,” Mafunda said.

“The department, through the acting director: forensic pathology services, has been in regular contact with the affected family, including as early as (Wednesday), and is considering several options aimed at minimising the family’s pain,
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15 Facts You Should Know About Open Medical Schemes

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How much do you really know about the inner workings of your medical scheme? Here are some quick facts on open medical schemes in SA.

Whereas each scheme will readily provide you with the facts on themselves, not everyone has the time or the patience to do a comparative study. Fortunately, Alexander Forbes Health has done it for you in their Diagnosis 2016/2017. Some additional information comes from the Council of Medical Schemes
Find out here what the facts are on open medical schemes in South Africa:

Since the year 2000 to the present, the number of open schemes in South Africa has decreased by 24 from 47. There are now 23 open medical schemes in SA, to which anyone can belong. Many smaller schemes have amalgamated, making them less prone to market volatility. The bigger the scheme, generally, the more financially stable. A small open scheme can be derailed by a couple of large claims, but that doesn’t happen so easily to a bigger scheme.
During 2016, Boni
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The POPI Act:- What it means for medical aid schemes

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When implemented, the Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act will fundamentally change the way personal data is managed. Corporate South Africa, including medical aid schemes, insurance brokers, financial advisors, marketers and even brands need to start preparing now for its impact.

“A patient’s medical information and history are particularly sensitive,” says Gerhard van Emmenis, principal officer of Bonitas Medical Fund. “Which means the entire service chain, from medical practitioners to pharmacists, administrators and scheme, involved in receiving and storing this information will be required to meet the stringent POPI requirements.”

Looking for a affordable Medical Aid or Hospital Plan, just click here Medical Aid or just send your Name, surname, age and email address to 082 738 5586

Essentially POPI, based on European legisl
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Vrystaatse provinsiale departement het nie geld vir afgestudeerde verpleegsters

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Verpleegsters wat verlede jaar hul graad- en diplomakursusse voltooi het, sit hande in die hare omdat die Vrystaatse provinsiale departement hulle nie aanstel nie.

Dié verpleegsters is verplig om ’n jaar lank gemeenskapsdiens te verrig voordat hulle ten volle kan kwalifiseer.

Mariette Pittaway, ’n DA-lid van die Vrystaatse wetgewer, sê sy het al in Februarie vanjaar ’n brief aan die LUR vir gesondheid, Butana Komphela, gerig oor die probleem.

In Februarie het die departement gesê hy het nie geld om die mense aan te stel nie, maar ’n versoek dat die verpleegsters vrygestel word van die verpligte jaarlange gemeenskapsdiens is geweier.

Al die beskikbare poste moes aan verpleegsters van die Free State School of Nursing gaan omdat dié verpleegsters hul beurse moet terugbetaal.

Pittaway sê as die Vrystaatse departement die verpleegsters vrystel, kan hulle in een van die ander provinsies die verpligte jaar gemeenskapswerk gaan doen en kwalifiseer.
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What does the law say about Medical negligence claims?

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Medical negligence can take place in so many ways, and as a result it sometimes appears impossible for the ordinary man on the street to know when and for what he may claim. In this article we highlight a few examples of possible negligence claims and the different forms of damages that can be claimed in each instance.

Example 1:

Mrs Y – an elderly woman admitted to hospital for the treatment of an airway infection, is recuperating after a theater procedure. A hospital staff member had phoned Mrs Y’s husband and requested that he give telephonic permission for his wife’s heart moisture to be removed. He did not doubt in the medical experts’ advice and gave his permission. The procedure was performed under anesthesia. Later that same afternoon Mrs Y’s family members were informed that a mistake was made. She should never have undergone the procedure as it was in fact intended for another patient.

After closer investigation it was reve
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Schemes battle doctor group at tribunal

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The South African Medical Association (Sama) and the Council for Medical Schemes are to square off at the Competition Tribunal on Tuesday in their long-running row over how specialists bill patients.

The outcome of the case is important because it may affect how medical schemes reimburse members.

Sama is the country’s biggest doctor organisation and has members employed by the public and private sector.

The council is a statutory body that is responsible for regulating the medical schemes industry and protecting consumers’ interests.

The council is alleging the South African Paediatric Association and the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgeons in SA have engaged in price-fixing with Sama, breaching the Competition Act. Both associations are Sama members.

The council alleges Sama has engaged in a prohibited horizontal practice by endorsing the billing practices of these associations, which use extra billing codes not included in the National Health Reference
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Port Elizabeth’s Ernest Malgas drug rehabilitation centre for kids facing major problems

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The Eastern Cape’s only state-owned drug rehabilitation centre for children – a R67-million facility opened with much fanfare in Port Elizabeth just two years ago – is falling into disrepair, with rehab services compromised.

The electric fence at the Ernest Malgas drug rehabilitation centre in Red Location is no longer working, resulting in some of the drug-addicted children escaping.

It has one working geyser and a non-functioning clinic.

Residents also drink openly close to the centre, according to sources.

The centre was opened in April 2016.

Several people involved with the centre, who did not want to be named, raised their concerns last week.

They included: The broken electric fence and children escaping over the walls;
The non-functioning clinic, which has led to the children asking staff members, other than nurses, for pain tablets;
A staff member who stayed away from work for a year;
Broken pool tables, tabletennis tables and other do
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Chaos strikes again at Steve Biko hospital

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Chaos strikes again at Steve Biko hospital

Protesters became violent on Wednesday afternoon at Steve Biko Hospital in Pretoria.

Gauteng police spokesperson, Captain Kay Makhubela said a group of protesters, who were supposed to be former security company employees, arrived at the Steve Biko Hospital.
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