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Blood pressure medicine recalled due to cancer risk – but the regulator took three weeks to act

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A drug to treat high blood pressure for almost 12‚500 South Africans is being recalled after the active ingredient was shown to be contaminated by a potentially cancer-causing chemical.

The recall‚ however‚ comes almost three weeks after the drug was removed from shelves in Europe‚ the UK and the USA because the Chinese manufactured active ingredient was contaminated. The regulator‚ South African Health Products Authority (SAHPRA)‚ did not answer TimesLIVE queries about why it took so long to recall it here.

The drugs being removed from pharmacy shelves are Dynaval Co 80/12‚5mg‚ Dynaval Co 160/12‚5mg and Dynaval Co 160/25mg. They are manufactured by Cape Town-based Pharma Dynamics.

Dynaval is used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure‚ or is given to patients who have had recent heart attacks.

But SAHPRA has warned patients that it is far more dangerous to stop taking blood pressure medicine and risk having a stroke than it is t
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According to patients SA’s top hospitals are in the Western Cape

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The Western Cape boasts the top hospitals in the country, followed by Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

See names of hospitals that have been included in the top 20 over the last three years.

This is according to the latest results of Discovery Health Patient Survey Score (PaSS) survey, which is based on patient experience scores.

Out of the top 20 hospitals for 2016, eight are located in the Western Cape with four in Gauteng and three in KwaZulu-Natal. The Free State and Mpumalanga have two each and the North West has one hospital in the top 20. Overall, 136 hospitals were included in the analysis of patient experience scores.

Dr Roshini Moodley Naidoo, head of Quality of Care at Discovery Health, says in general they find that hospitals are increasingly meeting higher patient expectations and needs since the survey was launched three years ago.

“Since publication of the survey scores, we are observing positive changes in how care is experienced by patients.
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What is really happening in Hermanus and elsewhere in South Africa?

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What is really happening in Hermanus and elsewhere in South Africa?

Hermanus in the Western Cape still resembles a scene from a horror movie with ongoing violence, intimidation and political upheaval and it is calculated that damages are now approaching R50 million. When speaking to residents however, you realise that there is much more to the story than what the media reports. Even more than the..
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Will the HMI insights get lost in the rush to finalise healthcare laws?

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Has the almost simultaneous release of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill, the Medical Schemes Amendment Bill and the provisional findings of the Health Market Inquiry (HMI) created an information overload, where some of the insights from the inquiry could be lost in the noise?

“There is significant risk that the regulatory environment being created through the legislative amendment process currently underway could conflict with the lessons learned in the course of the HMI’s work, which will only be fully apparent on the release of its final report,” says Mark Arnold, principal officer of Resolution Health Medical Scheme.

A considerable amount of time, resources and expertise have been invested in the HMI, but with the final report due for release in November, however, there is a risk that the full benefit of these insights could be lost due to the timing of these inter-related developments, as the period for submissions on Medical Schemes Amen
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Can this be true ?? Mahlangu, Hlongwa elected to top Gauteng ANC body

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The pair continues to survive politically despite being implicated in deadly mismanagement and graft during their tenures as Gauteng health MECs.

Former Gauteng health MEC Qedani Mahlangu, who presided over the Life Esidimeni tragedy, has been elected into the Gauteng ANC’s provincial executive committee (PEC). She joins the PEC alongside controversial Chief Whip and former Gauteng health MEC Brian Hlongwa.

Mahlangu takes up the position following a two-day elective conference this weekend, radio station 702 reports. The ANC’s PEC is the party’s top body in a province and leads the party provincially.

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

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Thandi Modise: ‘Black Farmers Do Better Than White Farmers In South Africa”

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Thandi Modise: ‘Black Farmers Do Better Than White Farmers In South Africa”

The National Council of Provinces chairperson Thandi Modise believes that AfriForum’s decision to privately prosecute her for animal cruelty is to advance the narrative of the failure of black farmers. Modise believes that AfriForum is targeting her to show that black people can’t farm and the case has emerged now when Parliament is embarking on..
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SOUTH AFRICA IS RULED BY SMUGGLERS

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SOUTH AFRICA IS RULED BY SMUGGLERS

According to a report in today’s report, the SA Defense Force tried to smuggle a consignment of guns and ammunition to Cuba without a permit. In addition, they wanted to load this weapon on a hired SAL flight to Havana, which would also carry passengers. Not the airline, the pilots, was aware of the nature..
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Skok-voorbeelde van bedrog by mediese fondse aan die lig gekom

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Die gesondheidsorgbedryf is in die visier van misdaadsindikate en onderduimse praktisyns.

Dr. Gregory Pratt, mediese adviseur vir forensiese ondersoeke in die gesondheidsbedryf vir Medscheme, het op die beraad vir gesondheidsorgfinansiers in Kaapstad skokkende voorbeelde genoem van bedrog waarmee hy die afgelope maande te make gehad het.

Mediese bedrog is so algemeen “omdat dit makliker gepleeg kan word as ander finansiële misdade,” sê hy oor die sindikate wat die bedryf teiken.

Voorbeelde van bedrog die afgelope maande:

1. ’n Sielkundige wat in net 102 dae R4,3 miljoen geëis het, het glo 173 pasiënte op een dag gespreek.

2. ’n Dermatoloog het R112 000 vir net 67 minute in die teater geëis.

3. ’n Sindikaat van sielkundiges in KwaZulu-Natal wat in twee jaar R80 miljoen (sien regstelling) geëis het van een mediese fonds. Baie van dié eise was vals of erg oordrewe.

4. ’n Sindikaat van aptekers in Soweto wat in drie jaar meer as R100
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Vrystaatse gesondheidsdepartement stort in duie na top spesialiste bedank

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Gesondheidsorg in die Vrystaat steier steeds onder die voortdurende eksodus van sy topmedici. Pas het nog twee van die provinsie se voorste spesialiste, prof. Schalk Wentzel (55) by urologie en dr. Maryke Spruit (55) by kritieke sorg, bedank.

Dr. Freek Bester, president van die Suid-Afrikaanse Mediese Vereniging se sentrale tak, sê om die ervaring van die topspesialiste wat die afgelope jaar en ’n half geloop het te probeer ­terugwen, gaan moeilik wees.

“Dit kan tot tien jaar neem om nuwelinge aan te stel en hulle weer op dieselfde gehaltevlak te bring nadat die institusionele geheue verlore gegaan het.

“Die bedankings veroorsaak dat pasiënte wat toenemend nie meer mediese fondse kan bekostig nie aan die lot van onbekwame dokters met swak opleiding en min ervaring blootgestel gaan word.”

Die akademiese platforms by die Universitas- en die Pelonomi-hospitaal, waar mediese studente aan die Universiteit van die Vrystaat opleiding ontvang, se toekoms wor
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Diensjaar: Verpleegster wen hofsaak na regstryd met Gautengse gesondheidsowerheid

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“Dit voel of ’n berg van my skouers af is.”

So het ’n verligte en glimlaggende Dané Hertz (22) Dinsdagmiddag gesê ná haar regstryd met die Gautengse gesondheidsowerheid omdat sy nie uitplasing vir haar verpligte gemeenskapsdiensjaar as verpleegster kon kry nie.

Hertz moet luidens ’n bevel van die hooggeregshof in Pretoria binne 30 dae deur dié owerheid uitgeplaas word na die O.R. Tambo-kliniek, waar sy van die begin af wou werk nadat sy as ’n verpleegkundige gekwalifiseer het. Die kliniek is sowat 8 km van haar huis af.

Die vakbond Solidariteit sê hy het namens Hertz ’n aansoek by dié hof ingedien om haar in ’n gemeenskapsdienspos aangestel te kry omdat die gesondheidsdepartement en minister van gesondheid sedert Januarie “versuim het om haar te plaas”.

Solidariteit het die gesondheidsowerheid op 15 Junie dringend versoek om Hertz, wat einde verlede jaar afgestudeer het, binne sewe dae na ’n kliniek uit te plaas.
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Cipla collaborates with American Cancer Society to increase access to cancer treatment in Africa

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Cipla Ltd, the global pharmaceutical company and owner of Cipla Medpro, South Africa’s third largest pharmaceutical manufacturer, announced a ground-breaking market access agreement with the American Cancer Society (ACS), the Clinton Health Access Imitative (CHAI) and the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, to expand access to 16 essential cancer treatment medications, including chemotherapies, into Ethiopia, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania.

Medpro, says that this collaboration will bring life-saving cancer treatment to these sub-Saharan African countries. “The foundation of Cipla is built on its commitment to increase accessibility of affordable and quality medicines to all citizens, so this collaboration is exactly in line with what the company stands for.”

The collaboration is part of a broader effort led by ACS and supported by CHAI to improve the market environment for cancer care in Africa.

Commenting on this partnership, Gary M Reedy, CEO of
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Rustenburg hearing: ‘Only expropriate white-owned land’

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Rustenburg hearing: 'Only expropriate white-owned land'

The parliamentary constitutional review committee heard on Thursday that only land belonging to white people should be expropriated without compensation. This is according to one of the hundreds of community members in Rustenburg who attended parliament’s North West leg of public hearings on whether section 25 of the Constitution‚ which deals with property rights‚ should..
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New political party formed called Mazibuye African Congress – Take note that no white South Africans allowed

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New political party formed called Mazibuye African Congress - Take note that no white South Africans allowed

Mazibuye African Congress (MAC) is the newest political party on the South Africa scene. The organisation, founded by two former Economic Freedom Fighter (EFF) members, has already caused a stir by claiming to be an exclusively black party with a strict anti-white membership policy. Mazibuye African Congress says whites will not be able to join..
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New Survey: Medical aid members have more choice

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In the battle for a slice of the private healthcare market, there has been significant growth in the number of medical schemes performing well across all sections of the medical aid spectrum. Whilst this means that members get more choice, it also makes the landscape increasingly complex.

The GTC 2018 Medical Aid Survey (MAS) analyses and rates medical aid schemes according to a standardised comparison and ranks the choices available to members.

When analysed purely in terms of premiums – the survey’s micro ranking – Fedhealth emerged as the medical aid which held the most top positions across all the classifications. Discovery was ranked in first place for the survey’s macro rankings, which analyses a medical aid’s overall ‘health’ and longevity in terms of factors such as its solvency level, membership growth, net healthcare result and member satisfaction. When combining both the GTC micro and macro rankings, Discovery claimed the highest number o
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A new Prostate treatment byproduct could accelerate cancer cell growth

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New research out of the United States points to a genetic anomaly in certain men with prostate cancer, which may impact their response to common drugs used to treat the disease.

Researchers found that abiraterone, a common prostate cancer drug, yields high levels of a testosterone-like byproduct in men with advanced disease who have a specific genetic variant.

The study’s lead researcher, Dr Nima Sharifi, who is based at Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute, previously discovered that men with aggressive prostate cancer who have a specific variant in the HSD3B1 gene have poorer outcomes than patients without the variant. HSD3B1 encodes an enzyme that allows cancer cells to use adrenal androgens for fuel. This enzyme is overactive in patients with the variant HSD3B1(1245C).

Sharifi and his team in the Department of Cancer Biology, including first author, Dr Mohammad Alyamani, found that men with the genetic anomaly metabolise abiraterone differently
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