Posts tagged with 'Healthcare'

 

Nearly 2 million will lose private healthcare if tax reform happens

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The government’s plan to ditch medical aid tax credits will have a disastrous effect on already cash-strapped South Africans and force nearly 2 million people onto the over-stretched state health system.

If the tax credit is removed, 22% of medical aid users will not be able to afford cover, Stellenbosch economics consultancy Econex warned in a report published on Friday – 1.9 million of the 8 million medical aid members, including children, will have to drop out of the private healthcare system.

In a national health insurance policy document released in July, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said he wanted to remove the tax credit to users, which amounts to R20-billion a year.

Medical aid schemes’ members get a tax reduction of R3,636 a year – or R303 a month. Motsoaledi said then that “the tax credit … we believe, is unfair”.

Economist Paula Armstrong, author of the Econex analysis, said the rebate was intended to “alleviate some pressure on the state [
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Edenvale hospitaal erg gevandaliseer deur ontevrede pasiënte

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Sekere dele van die Sizwe hospitaal in Edenvale is erg beskadig deur ‘n brand wat deur ontevrede pasiënte aangerig is.

Die aanleiding daartoe was dat ‘n verpleegster dwelms en drank gekonfiskeer het wat pasiënte ingesmokkel het. Dit het hulle woedend gemaak.

Hulle het daarop deur die hospitaal beweeg en enigiets wat breekbaar was, gebreek. Die gebou is erg gevandaliseer en die kombuis en ruskamers is skynbaar totaal vernietig.

Die hospitaal spesialiseer in die behandeling van vigs en tuberkulose.

Foto – Die Sizwe Tropiese Siektes Hospitaal, in ‎Edenvale, Johannesburg.
Die Vryburger, 22-08-2017

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Free Medical-Aid, Hospital and Funeral Plan and Insurance Quotes at www.MedSure.co.za
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Kind in Wes-Kaap dood aan witseerkeel

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’n 10-jarige meisie van die Nomzamo-township naby die Strand is dood en drie familielede is besmet met die hoogs aansteeklike bakteriële siekte witseerkeel, het die Wes-Kaapse gesondheidsdepartement Maandag bevestig.

Die meisie het op 3 Augustus positief getoets vir die siekte en is die volgende dag dood “weens die erns van die siekte”, sê Mark van der Heever, woordvoerder van die departement.

Die siekte is ook by die meisie se ma en twee sibbe gediagnoseer nadat die departement al haar gesinslede getoets het in ’n poging om die verdere verspreiding te keer.

Hulle het medikasie en entstowwe gekry,” sê Van der Heever.

“Meer as 600 individue is in hierdie spesifieke gemeenskap ingeënt,” sê hy.

Volgens die Wêreldgesondheidsorganisasie is 30 000 gevalle van witseerkeel en 3 000 sterftes wêreldwyd in 2000 aangemeld, in vergelyking met byna 100 000 infeksies in 1980.

Hulle het medikasie en entstowwe gekry,” sê Van der Heever.

MEER
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Could you have hepatitis and not know it?

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According to the World Health Organisation, Africa has one of the highest hepatitis infection rates in the world. Sadly, many people are unaware they have it.

Hepatitis affects 60 million people in Africa. Worldwide, an estimated 325 million people are living with chronic hepatitis-B virus (HBV) or hepatitis-C virus (HCV) infections.

What makes this particularly concerning is that many are unaware that they have hepatitis and are at risk of a slow progression to chronic liver disease, cancer and even death.

What is hepatitis?

Hepatitis is an inflammatory disease of the liver. The condition can be self-limiting or can progress to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or cancer.

The most common cause of hepatitis is due to infection by one of the hepatitis viruses but it can be caused by other infections, medication, alcohol, toxic substances and certain autoimmune diseases.

What are the different hepatitis viruses?

There
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Gauteng hospital shock – More than 20‚000 patients harmed due to negligence

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Gauteng Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa has confirmed that more than 20‚000 patients have been harmed due to negligence in the space of two-and-a-half years at state hospitals in Gauteng.

Ramokgopa quoted the figure in a written response to questions posed in the Gauteng Legislature by Democratic Alliance MPL Jack Bloom.

When patients are harmed unintentionally‚ by an act of commission or omission rather than their underlying illness or condition‚ the incidents are recorded as “Serious Adverse Events”. There have been 20‚417 of these incidents in the province since 2016‚ to date.

“Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital is the most dangerous hospital for patients in Gauteng‚ with 4‚320 recorded (incidents)‚” Bloom said in a statement on Monday.

Ramokgopa confirmed that the cases were‚ broadly speaking‚ related to “allegations of negligence‚ incompetence of staff members‚ human errors‚ secondment of patients and system failure”.

A
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Kliniek in Limpopo het glo geen medisyne vir diabete

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Geen antibiotika, hoesstroop of medisyne vir diabete nie.

Dit is van die skoktoestande waarop Lindy Wilson, nasionale DA-woordvoerder, Donderdag op ’n oorsigbesoek aan die Waterval-kliniek in die Vhembe-distrik, Limpopo, afgekom het.

Dit is ondanks 95% van die begroting van die hospitaal wat gebruik word om salarisse te betaal.

Sy het ook die Elim-hospitaal in die distrik besoek wat deur die nasionale departement van gesondheid as ’n loodsprojek vir die beoogde Nasionale Gesondheidsversekeringsplan (NGV) geoormerk is.

“Die NGV is nie lewensvatbaar nie. Hoe kan dit werk as ’n loodsprojek van die NGV misluk het?” wou sy weet.

Die Elim-hospitaal, wat 108 jaar oud is, het ernstige probleme met infrastruktuur en die dak val inmekaar.

Pfuluwani Matdozi, uitvoerende hoof van die hospitaal, het aan Wilson gesê daar is ’n groot tekort aan verpleegsters en dokters.

“Dit is ondanks 95% van die begroting van die hospitaal wat gebruik word om sal
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OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY: Five years for careless doctor

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Emalahleni gynaecologist Danie van der Walt was sentenced to five years in jail for culpable homicide after one of his patients died after giving birth.

He had earlier been found guilty of gross negligence.

Witbank magistrate Merlene Greyvenstein said Van der Walt had failed to do everything a specialist of his calibre should have done to save the life of Pamela Daweti, who bled profusely after giving birth to a baby girl, Lisakhanya, on August 11 2005.

She died a day later.

“I find that the death of the deceased could have been prevented,” Greyvenstein said.

She granted Van der Walt leave to appeal both his conviction and sentence.

Van der Walt waited in the holding cells while his family paid his R10,000 bail.

Outside court Daweti’s uncle, Lungi Daweti, expressed mixed feelings at the outcome.

“The court has done everything in its power to ensure justice was done. We appreciate that. This has taken a strain on all of us. We will now start the
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Health MEC ‘putting band aid on gaping wound of oncology crisis’

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The DA in KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday renewed its call for Health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo to be fired, saying it appears he is “trying to put a band aid on a large gaping wound” in respect of the province’s oncology crisis.

The DA had been advised by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) that Dhlomo had met the latest in a series of deadlines in terms of its recommendations required to address the province’s cancer crisis, DA MPL Imran Keeka said.

This followed the SAHRC’s release of a damning report in June which found Dhlomo and his department guilty of violating the rights of KwaZulu-Natal cancer patients by failing to provide proper access to treatment.

Keeka said the DA had received a copy of the MEC’s submissions from the SAHRC, which the party was currently assessing.

“On the face of it, it appears that the MEC is trying to put a band aid on a large gaping wound, with the proposals providing little in the way of concrete steps to
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How will private healthcare evolve under Universal Health Coverage (UHC)?

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With National Health Insurance, the Competition Commission investigation and sky-rocketing costs, it’s no wonder that the private healthcare sector (and the public sector for that matter) is a tad wary about what the future holds.

However, in which ever way, shape or form it manifests itself, universal health coverage (UHC) is inevitable. It forms part of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals. “To promote physical and mental health and well-being and to extend life expectancy for all, we must achieve universal health coverage and access to quality healthcare. No one must be left behind. This places UHC as the target that underpins and is key to achievement of other Goal 3 targets.”

Set of goals

According to Dr Rufaro Chatora, World Health Organisation (WHO) country representative says UHC provides a set of goals rather than tell us how to organise a health system. “This is logical as each country faces different challenges
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Syndicates and devious health professionals may target National Health Insurance

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Criminal networks are targeting your medical aid rands but could you be part of the problem too?

Criminal syndicates and unscrupulous doctors may be defrauding the private health sector of millions as experts warn that medical schemes may reach a breaking point.

“The health care sector is being targeted by criminal syndicates and even devious practitioners. It is a direct threat to the financial viability of medical schemes in the country, including any National Health Insurance initiative we attempt,” says medical advisor on healthcare forensics at medical aid administrator and risk management service, Medscheme Gregory Pratt. Pratt was speaking at the Board of Healthcare Funders Southern African Conference this week in Cape Town.

“The affordability of medical schemes in the country will soon reach a tipping point.”

In 2013 alone, Discovery Health recovered R300 million in fraudulent claims alone – a number that in 2014 CEO Jonathan Broomberg told
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NHI financing model questioned by FMF

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The latest iteration of the National Health Insurance (NHI) policy paper is no closer to defining how much the scheme will cost and where the money will come from to pay for it.

Meanwhile, SA risks running out of tax payers to finance its social security commitments, said Dr Johann Serfontein, senior healthcare consultant with HealthMan and Jasson Urbach, director & head of the Free Market Foundation’s Health Policy Unit.

The NHI scheme is based on a government administered, centrally controlled, single-payer model. Healthcare decisions will be determined by government from the cradle to the grave. NHI will reduce the number of available services, mean fewer healthcare providers and patients will face long waiting lists. NHI concentrates power in the hands of government and requires it to act as both player and referee, leaving no room for the private sector. Under NHI, whether directly or indirectly, government will control the availability, financing and
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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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Resident allegedly turned away from clinic because she’s ‘white’

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The metro has denied claims that Yolanda Ferencak’s children were turned away from Birchleigh North Clinic because they are white.

“The acting manager interviewed all the personnel at Birchleigh North Clinic. They indicated that none of them saw or sent away any patient or referred them to Birchleigh Clinic,” said Themba Gadebe, the metro’s spokesperson.

Ferencak from Terenure told Express that her 25-year-old daughter had taken her 11-month-old boy for immunisation injections at the clinic on July 4 when they were allegedly denied service.

“When my daughter got to the clinic she said a woman told her they did not assist white people and that it was a blacks-only clinic,” said Ferencak.

“Because they needed to go to a clinic, they then went to Birchleigh Clinic where they were assisted and a file for the baby was opened.”

“Racial preference or remarks are not tolerated and serious actions will be taken, should it occur,” said Gadebe.
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