Posts tagged with 'Medical Aid News'

 

Wonderful News:- R500m to recruit health professionals, buy beds and linen

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Government will reprioritise funds to make R350m available to recruit new health professionals, says Finance Minister Tito Mboweni.

The Minister tabled the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement in the National Assembly on Wednesday.

“Access to healthcare services is enshrined in our Constitution and in our Bill of Rights. We will continue to work closely with the national Department of Health and other role players to ensure that the gradual phased implementation of the National Health Insurance is adequately financed.

“We are immediately reprioritising R350m to recruit in excess of 2,000 health professionals into public health facilities,” he said.

Mboweni said a further reprioritisation of funds will avail R150m to be used to purchase beds and linen for hospitals where the need is more dire.

These two interventions will build on the Presidential Health Summit convened last weekend, which has brought a new focus to improving the quality of healthcar
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Will the NHI just be another state-owned enterprise?

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A report by organisations collaborating under the umbrella of the People’s Health Movement South Africa was submitted to the UN Committee on Cultural, Economic and Social Rights (ICESER), interrogating, among other things the flaws and pitfalls of the country’s National Health Insurance (NHI) proposal.

“The international human rights system does not have the teeth of a legal process but it is quite powerful if the committee recommends, for example, stronger oversight over mental health services, or greater resources. So, we are interested in what their recommendations will be based on their interrogation of the report,” one of the authors, Professor Leslie London from the School of Public Health and Family Medicine at UCT says.

NHI

About a third of the health movement’s report focused on the National Health Insurance (NHI) proposal. Areas of concern flagged include the absence of any reference to preventative health; capacity and resourc
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Looking Into Assisted Dying: South African law and the right to die on your terms

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Assisted dying is in the headlines again after euthanasia advocate Sean Davison was arrested in September 2018 on a charge of murder, relating to helping a friend die.

Across the world, assisted dying, often crudely called “assisted suicide” is becoming part of the discourse. The matters is back in focus in South Africa following the arrest of euthanasia advocate Sean Davison on a charge of murder in September 2018. Davison was arrested for helping his terminally ill mother die in 2006.

In her book Ending Life. Ethics and the Way We Die (2005), philosopher Margaret P. Battin shares this story from the Netherlands.

“Two friends, old sailing buddies, are planning a sailing trip in the North Sea later in the year, and they are discussing possible dates. “How about July 21st?” says Willem. “The sea will be calm, the moon bright, and there’s a music festival on the coast of Denmark we could visit.” “Sounds great,” answers Joost, “I’d love to
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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 this weekend’s Presidential Health Summit. Now the pressure is mounting for Treasury to figure out how to fund it.

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 this weekend’s 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. including 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. The strategy i
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Kinkhoes (whooping cough) raak woes in die Baai – Port Elizabet

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HET jou kind griepsimptome met veral ’n hoes wat langer as twee weke aanhou?

Dan moedig die provinsiale departement van gesondheid ouers aan om hulle kinders so gou moontlik na ’n dokter of kliniek te neem.

Lwandile Sicwetsha, provinsiale woordvoerder, het die uitbreking bevestig van Bordetella pertussis, die bakterie wat kinkhoes veroorsaak.

Dit het reeds die lewe van ’n maand oue baba geëis.

Sedert die begin van die jaar tot 15 Oktober is 26 voorvalle in die Baai aangemeld – 13 by privaat gesondheids­instansies en 13 by staatshospitale.

Asemhaling

Laas jaar is net vyf gevalle van kinkhoes in die Baai aangemeld.

Sicwetsha sê kinkhoes tas meestal babas jonger as drie maande aan.

Die simptome van kinkhoes sluit grieperigheid in en ’n hoes wat langer as twee weke aanhou, asook moeilike asemhaling.

Die siekte kan genees word as dit vroeg opgespoor word.

Sicwetsha sê as babas vir hul inentings geneem word, vermin
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Suid-Afrikaners gewaarsku oor verhoogde malaria-risiko, veral in noordelike dele van die land

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Die Nasionale Instituut vir Oordraagbare Siektes (Nios) het Maandag gewaarsku dat Suid-Afrikaners bedag moet wees op ’n malaria-risiko, veral in die noordelike dele van die land wat nou die somerreënseisoen binnegaan.

“Ongelukkig het ons nog nie die laaste van malaria in Suid-Afrika beleef nie wat volgens alle aanduidings ’n terugkeer maak,” sê dr. Peter Vincent van Netcare se reis-klinieke. Volgens Vincent is daar onlangs malariagevalle aangemeld in plekke waar vroeër geglo is malaria uitgewis is, soos die Waterberg-distrik in die noord-oostelike deel van Limpopo.

Hy benadruk dat die reënseisoen in die noordelike dele van die land aanleiding gee tot die toename in gevalle van malaria. “Die risiko is die hoogste tussen September en Mei wat al voorheen as die malaria-seisoen bestempel is.

“Maak seker dat jy weet waar die geaffekteerde gebiede is en watter tipe voorsorgmaatreëls nodig is. Malaria word aangetref in die noordelike dele van Limpopo
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The Sugar Industry Regulations have been gazetted

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Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry has welcomed the gazetting of the Sugar Industry Regulations.

“The Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry welcomes the gazetting of the Sugar Industry Regulations on transitional arrangements in terms of the Constitution of the South African Sugar Association (Sasa) and the Sugar Industry Agreement,” said the Committee on Thursday.

The regulations were gazetted on 9 October 2018 and the committee subsequently met with the Sasa and South African Farmers Development Agency (Safda).

The meeting was held so that the committee could be briefed on transitional arrangements with respect to incorporating Safda into Sasa and to discuss sugar tariffs.

Committee Chairperson Joan Fubbs said the incorporation is a step in the right direction, particularly for black small-scale farmers.

Safda is a member-based, voluntary non-profit association of like-minded farmers who believe in the development and sustai
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MEDICAL RESEARCH:- Are probiotics boosting SA’s digestive health industry growth?

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Increasingly, health-conscious consumers are starting to follow their gut when looking for ways of mitigating the negative health effects of increasingly stressful lifestyles and unhealthy eating habits. A growing number of consumers are using probiotics to prevent and manage their digestive, as well as general, health issues.

Insight Survey’s latest SA Digestive Health (Probiotics) Industry Landscape Report 2018 uncovers the global and local markets based on the latest information and research. It describes the market drivers and restraints as well as the relevant global and local market trends to present an objective insight into the South African Probiotics industry environment, market dynamics and its future.

The Global Probiotics market is valued at US$45.7 billion in 2018 and is predicted to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.2% between 2018 and 2024. Asia-Pacific is the largest regional Probiotics market in 2018, with US$24.4 billion, foll
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University of the Western Cape research identifies 130 new skin viruses

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A recent study, which set out to understand the genetic makeup of the many different phages that live on the bacteria living on the cells of our skins, found that no fewer than 130 entirely new species. The study, Novel phages of healthy skin metaviromes from South Africa also hinted at directions for future research..
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National Health Insurance will cost more than R350 billion:- Solidarity

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“VAT will effectively have to be doubled,” says Solidarity. The Solidarity Research Institute has released a report detailing the enormous amount of funding necessary to effectively implement the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme.

The numbers far exceed those previously calculated by the Health Minister, Aaron Motsoaledi. What’s more worrying is the heavy impact this will have on South African taxpayers.

According to Solidarity researcher, Morné Malan, funding required by the NHI is closer to R357 billion with a deficit of approximately R210 billion.

NHI: How does it affect the taxpayer?
Malan outlined the exorbitant fees which would need to be carried by the South African taxpayer. According to his research, value-added tax (VAT) would effectively double in order to carry the weight of NHI.

Commenting on the burden taxpayers will be forced to carry, Malan said:

“It is very difficult to determine from where the additional mon
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South Africa does little to address depression and other mental illnesses:- World Mental Health Day

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As a country, not much has been achieved in building a society that embraces mental illness. For those who are distressed, help is available. Contact SADAG on: 011 234 4837.

Wednesday, 10 October marks World Mental Health Day. However, the topic of our mental health should be at the forefront more often than it is.

In South Africa, the statistics on deaths caused by mental illness are disturbing – to say the least. The country only keeps estimates on suicide rates, but globally, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), it is one of the leading causes of death.

South Africa not quick enough to raise awareness
There aren’t enough facilities and resources in South Africa that are catered towards people suffering from depression and anxiety. These topics are often brushed aside or never embraced in homes that raise young adults who experience this the most.

IOL News reported that:

New York, this week became th
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Need to know information:- What to look out for when choosing 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.

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New fears about medical aid law changes may cause ‘doctor drain’

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A key issue of the proposed Medical Schemes Amendment Bill is the impact on doctors, resulting from a proposed uniform tariff for healthcare services.

Concerns have been raised about the proposed Medical Schemes Amendment Bill, one of many health-related bills which have been going through various motions in Parliament.

Recently, the cabinet approved the Bill to regulate medical schemes, and it will now be published and made available for public comment.

Among the concerns raised is the impact of a proposed uniform tariff for healthcare services, leading to a possible exodus of doctors and other healthcare professionals to countries where they can get “full value” for their services by charging tariffs they see as reasonable.

Looking for a affordable Medical Aid or Hospital Plan, just click here Medical Aid or just send your Name, surname, age, area in which
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The NHI debate is stuck in the weeds

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The National Health Insurance (NHI) is not a radical shift to dismantle a functioning system, but an opportunity to review two poorly functioning ones.

The public sector sees very high volumes of patients but gives them bad service and produces very poor outcomes. The private sector is modelled on low volume, high cost care – it uses its huge quantities of resources badly, to service very few people.

As the Health Market Inquiry (HMI) report makes clear, the large commercial medical schemes are resisting needed reforms that with better productivity would lead to the convergence of the two systems. In particular, they persist with an outdated tariff system that pays for services not outcomes and doesn’t support team-based delivery models. This is probably because it threatens their claim payment and ‘managed care’ role that justifies a very high income. This strategy is counterproductive for their members.

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The Showdown at the UN: SA takes on the US for cheaper drugs

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When the US went to bat for Big Pharma in the fight against this killer disease, South Africa wasn’t having any of it. Here’s what happened next.

Graveyard cough, white plague, consumption. A killer by any name, TB has stalked the human race for aeons, lurking in crowded tenements or following miners deep underground, hanging in the air of our hospitals.

Always there, yet rarely spoken.

Today, it kills more people than HIV and malaria combined, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reports. In South Africa, Statistics South Africa’s latest data shows TB remains the leading cause of non-violent deaths.

Yet it took the United Nations 73 years to call a meeting on TB — and only because a very excitable South African health minister agitated enough for it.

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