Hospitals

 

Children in South Africa’s aren’t getting the mental health care they need

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Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has received increased scientific, clinical and public attention over the past few decades. It’s the most common psychiatric disorder in children – affecting 2% to 16% of the school going population.

But in South Africa data on prevalence rates, access to care, and treatment for ADHD is limited. Despite the known efficacy of treatment, access to health care and treatment remains limited for many children in the country. This is a problem as untreated ADHD results in substantial costs and has a negative impact both on educational attainment and quality of life.

We have recently completed a study that looked at the mental health barriers South African school children face. Our research focused on the work of a not for profit organisation, set up in 2017 to provide mental health screening services for school children and with a particular focus on ADHD.

Our research found a prevalence rate of 2.5% among the more th
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The National Health Insurance (NHI): Who’s in, who’s out and how much will it cost

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The NHI was the centre of the presidential health summit. Now the pressure is mounting for Treasury to figure out how to fund it.

NEWS ANALYSIS

The health system is in crisis, government officials admit. Now, they have just weeks to produce an initial plan on how to fix it ahead of introducing a National Health Insurance (NHI), Deputy President David Mabuza revealed this weekend.

With its namesake, President Cyril Ramaphosa was absent from the presidential health summit. The gathering drew more than 100 representatives from civil society, government, unions, academia and the private sector. Prior to the event, that was held in Boksburg, each delegate received a 21-page concept note outlining challenges within the health system — this included corruption and how the NHI will incorporate the private sector.

Solutions proposed during the meeting will now form the basis for wider consultation ahead of a public plan to turn the health system.
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Why are the private sector remaining wary of universal healthcare

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Globally, one in four private healthcare groups surveyed won’t work with governments. Whether the National Health Insurance (NHI) succeeds or fails will depend on public-private partnerships. But the scheme will have to overcome more than just money woes to get the two sectors to settle old quarrels if new research is any indication.

Under the NHI, a centralised fund will procure a package of services from both the public and private sectors on behalf of South Africans. But it’s unclear how this will work and South Africa isn’t the only country trying to figure this out. Countries such as Indonesia, Egypt and Kenya are also looking to buy services from the private sector as part of the move towards universal healthcare.

But a recent survey of 20 of the world’s biggest private healthcare providers showed many remain wary of working with governments. Collectively, these companies owned 500 hospitals and 7 000 clinics across 40 low- and middle-income coun
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A DNAlysis Review for you: How DNA tests can help personalise medicine

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DNA tests have gained in popularity over the last few years. They reveal a lot about us, but the data can be overwhelming. We tried one to find out how it all works.

You’ve probably seen it somewhere. Personalised DNA tests are a big trend in medicine. Genetic tests are still a bit lowkey in South Africa, but globally, it’s a booming business.

These DNA tests can tell us a whole bunch of things.

From which diet is best, which exercise we might respond well to and, perhaps most crucially, help us understand how we process medication. It can also help us track our heritage, but for the purposes of this article, we’ll focus on the health aspects.

Are we doomed by our genes?
Most of the outcomes are theoretical, based on correlation, not causation.

And there is some debate around whether some of this information should even be shared with consumers. The reports have loads of info on them. Some scary, some less so. Some experts fear th
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Public hospitals in South Africa have become a death-trap for the poor

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Refiloe Nt’sekhe of the Democratic Alliance says that public hospitals have become a death-trap for the poor‚ says 

The party has produced this checklist of the top eight problems that it says require urgent intervention‚ following inspection visits to hospitals and clinics over the past month by DA provincial health spokespersons Jack Bloom MPL (Gauteng)‚ Dr Imran Keeka MPL (KwaZulu-Natal)‚ Dr Tutu Faleni MPL (North West) and Langa Bodlani MPL (Limpopo).

Here is a summary of their report:

1. Chronic staff shortages and long waiting times

All the facilities lacked staff in critical positions.

At the Bongani Hospital in the Free State‚ they found that the facility only had one nephrology Sister to attend to patients suffering from kidney diseases. This was despite health norms and standards indicating that hospitals should have nine.

While inspecting the Paediatric Ward in Taung District Hospital in North West‚ the DA fo
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WARNING:- Strand police are looking for suspects in latest cyclist attack (graphic content)

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The police say they are hot on the heels of the suspects who are attacking and robbing people on bicycles between Strand and Gordon’s Bay.
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Livingston Hospital: Dirty hospital linen in plastic bags is piling up and patients often have to bring their own linen from home when hospitalised

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The problem, which has been attributed to a broken washing machine and recent strike action at the hospital, has affected three hospitals – Livingstone, Dora Nginza and Provincial – as washing for all three hospitals is done at Livingstone.

Several plastic bags containing dirty linen are lying outside the laundry and while hospital management is trying to make contingency plans, the pile is growing.

Livingstone Hospital board member Pula Lonake said part of the problem could be attributed to recent strikes, with a change in hospital management also playing a role.

“One would expect some abnormality with the previous management going out. With new management in place we will be dealing with it and expect something to happen.

“We have the interest of patients at heart,” he said.

Lonake confirmed this had been the prevailing situation at the hospital for three weeks.

“It’s very unfortunate and needs to be dealt with.

“This matter need
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Time to go back to basics in the fight against childhood pneumonia

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Pneumonia is a respiratory infection that affects the lungs. The viruses and bacteria that cause the disease are spread through airborne droplets from a cough or sneeze. An infection can cause the lungs to fill with pus and fluid, making breathing and oxygen intake difficult.

And while anyone can get pneumonia, children with weakened immune systems or underlying illnesses are more susceptible. That’s why, pneumonia kills more than a million children every year across the world.

There have been some critical advances in preventing and treating the disease. These include vaccines, antibiotics and providing supplemental oxygen. In 2009, South Africa became the first African country to include the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in its routine infant immunisation programme. By 2012 an estimated 81% of one-year-old babies had received three doses of the vaccine.

South Africa has also reduced its pneumonia burden through the mass roll-out of antiretroviral therapy a
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143 lykshuise se yskaste  funksioneer  nie meer behoorlik, hoe funksioneer die Gesondheid Departement as hul nie eers in staat is om yskaste in stand te hou?

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Die Minister van Gesondheid het by navraag in die parlement gesê dat meer as 143 lykshuise se yskaste nie “behoorlik funksioneer” nie terwyl sommiges reeds tien jaar disfunksioneel is.

In Sentraal Transvaal is daar in nege distrikte dertien yskaste wat nie werk nie terwyl die Odi Hospitaal in Pretoria drie yskaste het wat reeds 18 jaar lank nie werk nie.

In Noord Transvaal is ‘n totaal van 75 yskaste wat stukkend is en Oos Transvaal het 12 wat reeds ‘n jaar of langer stukkend is.

Deskundiges wil nou weet hoe kan ‘n Gesondheid departement funksioneer as hul nie eers in staat is om yskaste in stand te hou nie.

Dit is immers die mense wat ‘n Nasionale Gesondheid Wet wil implementeer, word geredeneer.

Deur: Die Vryburger

Hierdie berig weerspieeel nie noodwending die mening van SAUK-nuus nie.

 

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Free Medical-Aid, Hospital and Funeral Plan and Insurance Quotes at www.MedSure.co.za
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Eskom are in deep trouble, they are going to shuts down 11 power station units, load shedding imminent!

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South Africans can expect load shedding this weekend after Eskom was forced to shut down 11 power station units due to a lack of maintenance.
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Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital:- Possible link between baby formula, deaths in Joburg hospital

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Two types of bacteria were found in baby formula tested at the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, but toxicology tests haven’t been done.

A possible link between baby formula and necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) in premature babies could explain the deaths of nine babies recently at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital in Johannesburg, an expert has suggested.

But Stasha Jordan, director at SA Breastmilk Reserve, warned that while studies suggest a correlation between the use of formula in new-born babies and NEC – a medical condition – several factors had to be considered when such outbreaks occur.

After several infant deaths in hospitals around the country this year, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases couldn’t find the cause of the outbreak.

According to the institute, the presence of two types of bacteria were found in the baby formula they tested at the hospital. The testing revealed the presence of Bacillus and Streptococcus
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Malaria is still a major problem in Africa, now there are a novel approach that brings African scientists closer to a malaria vaccine

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Originally published by Faith Osier on The Conversation. There are over 200 million clinical cases each year and approximately half a million deaths.

There are different ways in which malaria can be controlled. Preventive measures include use of insecticides in bed nets or indoor spraying programmes. Medicines can also be used to prevent or treat malaria, but resistance often develops and drugs lose their effectiveness.

The World Health Organisation reported that progress in controlling malaria has stalled.

As an immunologist, I dream that one day we will have an effective vaccine that will help eliminate malaria. I think this is possible because for over a century, we have known that humans do become immune to malaria. In places where there is lots of malaria adults don’t succumb to the disease, but their young children do.

In experiments conducted over 50 years ago, researchers showed that blood could be taken from adults who had become immune and used
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Hospital News:- Rahima Moosa Hospital: “The hospital has violated the right of access to health” – says SAHRC

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The South African Human Rights Commission inspected the Rahima Moosa Mother & Child Hospital on 8 November.

The investigation at the Rahima Moosa Hospital followed after a necrotising enterocolitis outbreak at the hospital took the lives of nine infants from March to July 2018.

After the visit to Rahima Moosa Hospital , Buang Jones from the South African Human Rights Commission said in a press briefing:

“From what we’ve gleaned so far, the hospital has violated the right of access to health. [..] They’ve also violated Section 28 of the Constitution which says that’s the best interest of children are of paramount importance.”

The hospital, which assists in the delivery of the approximately 13,000 babies yearly, acknowledged the death of the infants in August, but the cause of the outbreak is still unknown. The outbreak was contained in August.

According to a tweet posted by Jacaranda News, the SAHRC’s investigation also revealed that the Rahim
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MEDICAL AIDS News:- Spectramed and Resolution Health merge

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Spectramed Medical Scheme and Resolution Health Medical Scheme (Resolution Health) have merged to form Health Squared Medical Scheme, as from 1 January 2019.

Independent auditors confirmed that 93% of members voted for the merger, and the schemes have extensively engaged with the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) and, with their involvement, the merger process is now subject to final approval by the CMS and Competition Commission.

Health Squared will be administered by Agility Health, which is currently the managed care provider and administrator for both Spectramed and Resolution Health.

The launch of Health Squared forms part of an overall strategy to protect the interests of members while strengthening the service offering in the context of future developments in the South African healthcare landscape.

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The question on everybody’s mind is:- How will the State Liability Amendment Bill affect victims?

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According to Kirstie Haslam, partner at DSC Attorneys, the proposed State Liability Amendment Bill which the government is seeking to pass, will have consequences for medical malpractice claimants, as it aims to both limit and structure the payment of damages where a patient has been a victim at a State hospital…

Haslam believes that the move from the lump sum system to the proposed periodic system is unworkable.

“The principle difficulty with the introduction of this Bill is that it is nothing more than a stop-gap interim solution pending possible greater legislative reform,” she explains. “As matters stand, the South African Law Reform Commission is undertaking an extensive investigation into what it terms “medico-legal claims” and in that context this Bill – which has a potentially massive impact on victims of medical malpractice perpetrated in State-run institutions, which would be mostly the poor – is premature.”

Administrative
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