Posts tagged with 'Healthcare'

 

ANC-government to open state-owned pharmaceutical company – the idea of this is terrifying since we are all aware of the lack of skill government officials has not to mention a treasury that is lacking funding – How on earth will this move be sustainable?

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The South African government plans to establish a competitive state pharmaceutical company in a bid to ‘de-commodify essential medicine supply to meet patient and national fiscal imperatives’.

This was one of the findings in the Presidential Health Summit report which was released to the public last week.

The report mandates that this state-owned company should be ‘innovative, competitive and highly skilled’ – with India provided as a country with a similar company and systems.

Government also plans to support innovative private sector initiatives ‘rooted in social responsibility ethos’ the report states.

While the introduction of a competitive state pharmaceutical company is seen as a medium-term possibility, the idea of a state-owned pharmaceutical company was mooted as far back as 2007.

According to Rapport, the government had previously instituted a private-public partnership with a company called Ketlaphela; however, this partnership i
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Motsoaledi: We can’t wait to improve healthcare before implementing NHI

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Government does not believe it can wait until the healthcare system is improved before implementing national health insurance, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has said.

The minister was speaking at a briefing at Tuynhuys, Parliament, where the report of the outcomes of the presidential health summit, held late last year, was released.

During his address on Tuesday, Motsoaledi said government would be taking significant steps towards implementing universal healthcare.

Last week, president Cyril Ramaphosa said that the National Health Insurance Bill would be tabled before Parliament this year.

NHI will ensure that South Africans can receive free health services at the point of care at both public and private quality-accredited healthcare service providers, Motsoaledi said.

NHI is a proposed state-run health financing system that aims to pool funds to provide access to quality health services for all South Africans regardless of their economic status.

M
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The National Health Insurance Act which will soon be put proposed, to provide free health care to everyone, regardless of where they are calling for medical care, will lead to chaos in private hospitals and may finally break the country’s economy

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The National Health Insurance Act which will soon be put proposed, to provide free health care to everyone, regardless of where they are calling for medical care, will lead to chaos in private hospitals and may finally break the country's economy

According to President Cyril Ramaphosa, it is clear that the country’s health care is in crisis and needs rehabilitation. More than 75% of state hospitals budget goes for salaries that are severely affected by patients who are not receiving proper treatment due to a money shortage. According to Ramaphosa, the National Health Insurance Act will..
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Motsoaledi swyg oor proses met NGV-wet – paneel wat die markondersoek na die private gesondheidsbedryf lei, se werk is opgeskort tot in die nuwe boekjaar omdat die geld glo opgeraak het om hulle te betaal

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Motsoaledi het Dinsdag op ’n mediakonferensie waar ’n verslag oor die beraadslaging op ’n spitsberaad oor die krisis in die gesondheidsorgsektor uitgereik is, nie die vraag beantwoord oor of die kabinet die NGV-wetsontwerp al goedgekeur het nie.

Wag en wees geduldig, was dr. Aaron Motsoaledi, minister van gesondheid, se antwoord op ’n vraag oor hoe ver die wetsontwerp oor nasionale gesondheidsversekering (NGV) van klaar is voordat dit in die parlement ter tafel gelê word.

Hy het ook te kenne gegee die oponthoud met die markondersoek na die private gesondheidsbedryf hou tans die wysigingswetsontwerp oor die Wet op Mediese Fondse terug.

“Die benadering was nog altyd wanneer alles klaar is, gaan dit parlement toe en dan word ’n aankondiging gemaak. Dis hoe dit met alle wetsontwerpe is. Ek verstaan nie hoekom dit nou anders moet wees nie,” het Motsoaledi gesê.

Popo Maja, sy woordvoerder, het in Desember bevestig dat die wetsontwerp aan die kabin
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Hospitaal se hele bestuurspan in die pad gesteek in Limpopo – ‘n Mens kan hier doodgaan terwyl jy wag dat ’n dokter of verpleegster jou spreek

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Skokkende wanbestuur by die Tshilidzini-hospitaal in Limpopo het daartoe gelei dat dr. Phophi Ramathuba, LUR vir gesondheid in Limpopo, dié hospitaal se hele bestuurspan in die pad gesteek het.

Die hospitaal in die Vhembe-gebied bedien ’n groot gemeenskap.

Probleme by die hospitaal sluit in vervalle geboue, swak diens, lang toue mense wat ure lank wag net om huis toe gestuur te word sonder enige hulp. Dit word grootliks toegeskryf aan swak bestuur.

Verskeie pasiënte het by Ramathuba gekla toe sy onlangs die hospitaal besoek het. Van hulle het gesê dat hulle ure gewag het, maar niemand was bereid om te help nie.

Ramathuba sê sy is bekommerd oor die negatiewe verslae wat die hospitaal gekry het en ’n regrukstrategie moet bewerkstellig word om die vertroue van die publiek te herstel.

“Soos dit blyk uit gesprekke met van die werknemers, is dit duidelik dat die hospitaal nie ’n behoorlike bestuurstelsel het nie. Daar is ’n groot behoefte aan lei
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General Manager of the Medical Scheme Council is suspended after it came to light that he misled counsel around decisions taken in favor of certain organizations

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Council for Medical Schemes

The Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) has suspended general manager of compliance and investigations Stephen Mmatli. The Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) has suspended general manager of compliance and investigations Stephen Mmatli “following tip-offs related to his conduct in the affairs of the regulator”, the council announced on Sunday. He is accused of deliberately deceiving..
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National Health Insurance legislation will hit private hospital sector’s future investment and capital expenditure, NHI laws threaten 132,000 jobs

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National Health Insurance (NHI), which the government is pushing as the solution to SA’s health crisis, could lead to the loss of up to 132,000 jobs, according to the country’s private hospital groups.

NHI, spearheaded by health minister Aaron Motsoaledi, is the government’s policy for introducing universal health coverage and aims to ensure everyone has access to healthcare that is free at the point of service.

The Hospital Association of SA (Hasa), which represents the private hospital sector, was among the industry groups that presented their views on the risks to the economy at last week’s Business Unity SA (Busa) meeting.

The gathering brought together business and government leaders, who have been trying to forge a closer relationship under the auspices of the Public Private Growth Initiative spearheaded by former politician Roelf Meyer and Toyota Europe and Africa CEO Johan van Zyl.

Hasa commissioned economics consultancy Econex to analyse th
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Seems like South-Africa’s Health Department has a major cash flow problem – Several Gauteng Doctors, Medical Interns Not Paid January Salaries

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Eyewitness News spoke to some interns who say that they were told that their January salaries will only be paid on 28 February.

Several Gauteng medical interns and community service doctors have contacted Eyewitness News claiming that they have not been paid their January salaries.

Eyewitness News has seen WhatsApp messages, emails and memos informing the doctors of this decision.

The doctors have been doing their community service at various hospitals in the province.

Eyewitness News spoke to some interns who say that they were told that their January salaries will only be paid on 28 February.

Medical interns at the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital say that they were sent a WhatsApp message a day before payment informing them that due to logistical reasons, payments won’t be made therefore they should make the necessary agreements with their banks.

A memo from Helen Joseph Hospital, seen by Eyewitness News, notifies the doctors that their January payments
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Staats pasiënte moet ly omrede mediese staatsdepot in Bloemfontein nie medisyne en mediese toebehore betyds aan hospitale en klinieke kan lewer

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Vrystaat se pasiënte wat afhanklik is van staats medisyne en mediese toebehore gaan ’n ernstige probleem in die gesig staar nadat daar bevind is dat die mediese staatsdepot in Bloemfontein nie die nodige voorraad betyds aan hospitale en klinieke kan lewer nie.

So het Patricia Kopane, DA-LP en DA-premierskandidaat vir die Vrystaat, Dinsdag ten tyde van ’n oorsig-inspeksie gesê.

Kopane het gesê die mediese depot voer ’n stryd om medisyne betyds aan Vrystaatse hospitale en klinieke te lewer.

“Terwyl baie faktore ’n rol speel, is die opsigtelikste redes die verouderde stoorbestuursrekenaarstelsel wat verskeie kere ineengestort het, vervoerprobleme en onvoldoende personeel.

“Die stoorbestuursrekenaarstelsel is ontwerp sodat die depot kon reageer op verskeie versoeke vir medisyne van verskillende gesondheidsgeriewe van oor die provinsie heen.”

Kopane sê die provinsie se gesondheidstelsel is op die rand van ’n krisis met die depot wat ’n a
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‘Horrifying Cruelty By The ANC – South Africans endure pain, suffering and neglect at Robert Sobukwe Hospital

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‘Horrifying Cruelty By The ANC; Onlookers Shocked in Ward 31 This Morning’

South Africans endure pain, suffering and neglect at Robert Sobukwe Hospital, Kimberley last night and this morning. This photo shows the sick and injured who are forced to lie on cold floors. Many cry in anguish and discomfort, and embarrassment. Their frustration is evident, some wail in pain and frustration, others beg desperately for help from hospital workers, to no avail.

If you are sick or injured, don’t come to Robert Sobukwe Hospital, ANC Ward 31, unless you plan to leave you dignity at the door.

“Why has our government forgotten us?” cries a young teenage girl. She holds the hand of her grandmother who looks extremely weak. I looked into her grandmother’s eyes and saw no emotion, her tears have dried in salty streaks down her cheeks, disappearing under her wrinkled chin, the smell of urine comes from her chair. Her suffering is wrapped with a bow with kind regards from our
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Hard times lies ahead for the ANC’s Department of Health:- angry nurses says, No jobs, no vote

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“No jobs, no vote,” shouted disgruntled nurses who marched to the provincial health department in Pietermaritzburg.

Hundreds of nurses carried placards and handed over a memorandum demanding that unemployed nurses be employed by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health. Nurses from the Health and Other Service Personnel Trade Union of South Africa (HOSPERSA) were part of the march.

The marchers said there were 15,000 unemployed nurses in KZN and 40,000 vacancies for nurses nationwide, according to a “study”.

But when GroundUp asked the provincial chairperson of HOSPERSA, Thamsanqa Zondi, the source of these figures, he said the figures were estimates and should not be used by the media. He said the union did not have a copy of the study.

Last year nurses marched three times demanding that the health department prioritise their demands.

United Nurses Forum president Bhekithemba Gumbi said nothing had changed. Quoting the same figures, he said there was
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Shocking! Almost 200 posts for doctors and specialists remain unfilled at Gauteng’s four academic hospitals — and many of these posts are likely to remain empty, the health department says

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Gauteng hospitals can only fill half of its critical medical staff vacancies — positions that normally go to doctors, specialists and nurses, Gauteng health department deputy director general for clinical services Richard Lebethe says. Hospitals were first informed about this via an April circular sent to hospitals.

The head of psychiatry at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Wendy Friedlander, says medical officers are feeling the strain of almost 80 vacant posts.

“Doctors [now] have a much greater doctor to patient ratio. If you have more patients, what you can give in terms of time, facilities and resources to each patient is much less”, she explains. “Every patient is getting less care than they should be getting, less care than what they are entitled to.”

Friedlander stresses: “The quality of care has plummeted.”

The psychiatrist is part of a committee of hospital doctors who have asked the provincial health department to unfreeze th
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Nurses allegedly ‘ignored’ pleas for help as mom cradled dead infant after suffering a miscarriage, while nurses pay no attention to her and ate their cereal at Groote Schuur Hospital

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The Western Government Health Department will be investigating a young mother’s claims that she nearly bled to death after suffering a miscarriage, while nurses ignored her and ate their cereal at Groote Schuur Hospital.

The woman says she lay for seven hours in a heap of blood clots “the size of her fists”, while the dead baby lay between her legs.

Saadijah Samuels Abrahams, 28, of Bridgetown says nurses ignored her desperate cries for help and, afterwards, a cleaner dumped the foetus in a bin.

“I wrapped the baby inside tissue paper and left it at my bedside and when I came back, the nurse said she didn’t know what happened,” she says.

“When my husband was finally allowed inside the ward, he put on gloves and found the baby inside the bin. Can you imagine that? To find your baby inside a bin?”

Saadijah was 14 weeks pregnant with her second child and says she was excited to be giving birth in July.

However, on 13 January she started b
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Grandson laments treatment at PE hospital – ‘Not one nurse to help him’

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Life St George’s Hospital in Port Elizabeth has launched an internal investigation after the grandson of one of its patients posted photos of his grandfather soaked in urine and blood with “not one nurse to help him”.

This was despite the hospital knowing the elderly man needed 24-hour care for which he was signed up for, Jason Gordon wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

His grandfather was blind and suffered from dementia.

“This is not the first time I have visited him after work to find something wrong. The first time they had inserted his drip incorrectly. It took more than 3 days for the swelling to go down,” Gordon wrote.

“This is not the kind of care I would expect when you pay so much for medical aid; this kind of thing should not be acceptable in any state or private hospital. You would expect people in the medical profession to be compassionate and want to make sure their patients are comfortable, not leaving them in an embarrassing and unhealthy s
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A tech company, Proteus, just launched a ‘smart’ cancer pills that track you with tiny sensors stamped into your medications

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A US digital medicine company called Proteus makes ‘smart pills’ embedded with sensors that tell your doctor when you’ve taken your medication. The pills also track activity levels.

Backed by big name investors like Novartis, Proteus debuted the first medication made with the technology – a form of the depression and schizophrenia drug Abilify – in 2017.

Now, Proteus is expanding into cancer.

Still, the research on whether the pills actually help patients take their medications when they should remains somewhat unclear.

Would a notification from your doctor as soon as you forget to take your medication help keep you on track?

A digital medicine company called Proteus is betting the answer is yes.

The Silicon Valley-based company makes what have been called “smart pills”: essentially, versions of regular medications embedded with a tiny sensor that can be tracked by a patch worn on a patient’s stomach.

Since debuting the first medication made with t
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