Posts tagged with 'Healthcare'

 

What to consider when deciding on a medical scheme

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Are your health insurance costs too high? Try decoding your medical aid terms and conditions and associated costs to make sure that it works for you.

“While health insurance is important, it comes at a cost that is rapidly rising. Unfortunately for the consumer, this affects medical scheme membership contribution rates, and the increases of which are sometimes significantly higher than general inflation.

As schemes try to contain their costs in the face of increasing claims, they make changes to their plans and benefits, which can come as a surprise to the consumer,” says Mark Payne, CEO of the Independent Community Pharmacy Association (ICPA).

Annual review of your plan

He recommends that an annual review of your plan is absolutely vital, and will affirm that it is serving your needs rather than the other way around.

The ICPA advises on several important things you should look at when considering a new medical scheme or reviewi
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TEMBISA Hospital in Ekurhuleni – patients often have to sleep on stretchers or mattresses on the floor

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TEMBISA Hospital in Ekurhuleni serves 2,5 million people and delivers 16 000 babies a year but only has 840 beds.

This was revealed yesterday by hospital CEO Dr Lekopane Mogaladi during an oversight inspection conducted by the DA.

Mogaladi said patients often have to sleep on stretchers or mattresses on the floor.

He said the hospital and a private partner had plans to open a prefab medical ward with 24 beds in August. The CEO said the hospital desperately needs 49 more nurses but the Gauteng Health Department has only given them permission to fill four posts.

Head of nursing Wilfred Mothwane said the hospital should have at least 623 more nurses.

“Some of the current nursing staff are going to retire soon. We deliver 42 babies daily with a limited number of midwives,” said Mothwane.

DA Gauteng shadow health MEC Jack Bloom said: “Tembisa would benefit if the health department expanded Edenvale Hospital and built a medical facility in Kempton Par
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Are Medical Scheme Members aware of what they are paying for?

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The medical scheme industry is full of jargon and benefit structures that often leave the man on the street confused and frustrated when it comes to understanding and accessing their benefits.

Medical schemes have in recent times attempted to simplify terminology to make it more understandable, but are they doing enough to ensure members know what they are paying for?

A recent survey among Resolution Health Medical Scheme (Resolution Health) members revealed that 87% of respondents felt that they generally understood the benefits they were entitled to on their specific benefit option, while 13% said that they found their benefits more than a little confusing.

This is a worrying statistic says Mark Arnold, Principal Officer of Resolution Health, as it means that a large number of members are not receiving advice from a healthcare broker when it comes to choosing their healthcare option, and may lead to members not having the level of cover they need.

The sur
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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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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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How did this happen? – More than 400 newborn babies infected with listeriosis

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How did this happen? - More than 400 newborn babies infected with listeriosis

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has reported that 412 of the 973 laboratory-confirmed listeriosis cases are babies less than 28 days old.

Of these neonatal cases, 396 had early-onset listeriosis within six days of their birth.
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The doors of Limpopo’s Enterprise factory in Polokwane remain shut after the health department confirmed on Sunday that the source of a listeriosis outbreak had been traced back to the facility.

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After a two hour meeting on Monday, management told workers that the factory would be closed until further notice.

Consumers who had gathered outside the factory’s shop on the outskirts of the CBD, to return affected products, expressed concern that they would not be refunded after they found a notice stating the premises would stay closed.
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Bathabile Dlamini gets served by SA Human Rights Commission

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Bathabile Dlamini gets served by SA Human Rights Commission

The South African Human Rights Commission has subpoenaed the Minister of Social Development‚ Bathabile Dlamini.

The subpoena is in relation to the Commission’s National Investigative Hearing on the Status of Mental Health Care in South Africa‚ which was held on November 14-15 last year‚ 2017.
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SA health system was better under apartheid, says Malema

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SA health system was better under apartheid, says Malema

Public healthcare services were better during apartheid than they are now under the ANC government, EFF leader Julius Malema claimed on Monday. 

Malema was referring to what he called a “national health crisis”, which, he said, the EFF is planning to expose.
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A DECADE LATER AND OVER BUDGET BUT KIMBERLEY MENTAL HOSPITAL IS FINISHED

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Its a decade behind schedule and cost more than six times more that originally planned, but Kimberley Mental Hospital will finally be completed next month, Northen Cape officials assured MPs on Thuesday. Construction on the 286-bed hospital began in 2006. It was originally supposed to be handed over to the Northern Cape health department in 2008‚..
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Is dental healthcare as affordable and accessible as it should be?

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Oral health is essential to optimal overall health and minimising the probability of developing serious oral health conditions or infections in future. Yet, besides the fear factor, why are so many people reluctant to visit the dentist? “The underlying factors here include resources, socio-economic circumstances, accessibility and education.” “One of the biggest culprits for keeping..
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Familie word van bakpoort na stuurpoort gestuur by Steve Biko Hospitaal na seun se ongeluk

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Die Steve Biko Akademiese Hospitaal is weereens onder die vergrootglas geplaas nadat nog klagtes na vore gekom het. ’n Familie van die Moot sê die hospitaal was nalatig nadat ’n geliefde verlede Woensdag in die hospitaal opgeneem is. Jayden Pieterse (27) is in die hospitaal opgeneem nadat hy in ’n verskeersongeluk betrokke was. Die ongeluk..
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Natal gesondheid in gemors

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Die Natalse Gesondheidsdepartement sit reeds twee jaar sonder ‘n finansiële hoof. Die departement sê dat hulle hul bes doen om die pos te vul. Die vraag is nou wie intussen omsien na die finansiële kontrole van die departement? Ten spyte van verskeie pogings en advertering van die pos is daar nog niemand aangestel nie. Waarnemers..
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