Posts tagged with 'medical aids'

 

Looking at some South Africa hospital horrors

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South Africa´s recent spate of hospital horror stories and the sharp rise in cases of medical negligence are disturbing with medical negligence claims against provincial the country´s Health Departments increasing by around 25 per cent per year between 2011 and 2016.

This is according to Kirstie Haslam, partner at DSC Attorneys who says that the Gauteng Department of Health, (South Africa´s wealthiest province) receives a particularly staggering number of negligence claims each year. Since January 2015, it has been forced to pay out more than R1.017 billion ($US74 million) to settle 185 medical negligence claims.

“Deteriorating conditions in state hospitals, as well as incompetence and gross negligence on the part of staff members, are at the root of these claims – the vast majority of which were ruled in favour of the plaintiffs,” Haslam explains.

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It’s now 90 years ago that Penicillin was discovered – and despite resistance, the future looks good for antibiotics

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When the NHS turned 70 this year, I was reminded of another anniversary which has had an enormous impact on healthcare over many years. Penicillin is 90 this year.

Discovered in September 1928 by Alexander Fleming, it was first used as a cure when George Paine treated eye infections with it in 1930. A method for mass production was devised by Howard Florey and Ernst Chain in 1940, and it was first mass produced in 1942, with half of that total supply used for one patient being treated for streptococcal septicaemia.

In 1944, 2.3m doses were produced in time for the Normandy landings of World War II. And it was then that the miracle of penicillin became clear. Soldiers who had previously died from septicaemia were surviving.

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MEDICAL AID PREMIUMS SET TO INCREASE IN 2019

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Medical aid schemes have announced that the premiums paid by members are set to increase in 2019.

Talk Radio 702’s Xolani Gwala spoke to Paresh Prema, general manager of the benefits unit at Council for Medical Schemes, about what medical schemes consider reasons for increasing the premiums.

Prema says the responsibility of the council is to look at the suggestions put forward by the medical schemes and approve them before they can be implemented.

“So what you have seen, it is actually the submissions that they have made to us for the increases for next year.

“We look at the different elements that make up a contribution. The most important element is the claims and services that are paid for by medical schemes and how much it will be going up by in the next year.”

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CANCER:- Micorocoil localisation in treating early-stage lung cancer

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A breakthrough minimally invasive surgery technique, microcoil localisation, allows doctors to pinpoint and remove tiny nodules in early-stage lung cancer without damaging additional healthy tissue.

“Rather than cutting out an entire lobe, or potentially even an entire lung, we can just take out a small bit of tissue,” said Dr Jason Lempel, a thoracic radiologist at Cleveland Clinic in the United States. “We’re able to treat patients with early-stage lung cancers quickly and thus decrease the chance of the cancer spreading.”

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Cleveland Clinic is one of a handful of medical centre to offer the surgery. A review of the team’s first 20 cases has revealed a 100% success rate in retr
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Limpopo paramedic in hot water after allegedly transporting alcohol in vehicle

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A video of a Mokopane resident approaching a Limpopo EMS paramedic over the alleged abuse of a government vehicle for private use has gone viral on social media.

In the video, the resident asks the paramedic why she was using a Limpopo EMS Ambulance to allegedly deliver alcohol from the ambulance to a private vehicle.

The paramedic then replies saying: “This is my work car, there is no way I cannot use this car to do whatever I want.”

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After viewing the video, Polokwane Review contacted the spokesperson for the MEC of Health Thabiso Teffo for comment on the matter. Teffo confirmed that steps will be taken against the paramedic.

“We can confirm that disciplinary action will be ta
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Constitutional Court Ruling:- You can get high now in private

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In a unanimous judgement, the Constitutional Court on Tuesday ordered that the private consumption and cultivation of cannabis be decriminalised.

As judgement was being handed down, the court was filled with cheers of “Ganga” from public gallery.

It has been a long journey for Gareth Prince, one of the applicants in the matter, who began his fight against the criminalisation of cannabis over two decades ago, arguing that it was inconsistent with his constitutional freedom of religion as a Rastafarian.

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Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo handed down the judgement, which confirmed that sections 4(b) and 5(b) of the Drugs and Drugs Trafficking read in part with section 22(A)(9)(a)(i) of
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New drug approved:- Cipla’s new triple-combination antiretroviral drug approved

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The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has approved Cipla’s latest first-line triple-combination antiretroviral (ARV) treatment for HIV.

The new combination medicine commonly referred to as TLD, is a combination of tenofovir (TDF), lamivudine (3TC) and dolutegravir (DTG).

In future, TLD will be manufactured at Cipla’s facilities in Durban and Uganda, reinforcing Cipla’s commitment to produce medicines in Africa for Africa and ensuring more affordable treatment for patients.

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Head of Manufacturing for Cipla South Africa, Ajay Kumar Pal, said the reason for the new formulation complexity related to the three different processes required for the three active pharm
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Medical aids spying on doctors with hidden cameras – High Court claim

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The National Healthcare Professionals Association of South Africa has filed papers in the Pretoria High Court accusing 19 medical aid schemes of spying on doctors and sneaking hidden cameras into their consulting rooms.

The Sunday Times reported that medical aids are also allegedly holding back payments to doctors due to unproven misconduct.

The association – formed in October 2016 – has 320 members around South Africa, of which 65 are part of the court application.

Many medical aids will oppose the application and deny any wrongdoing, stating that fraud and false claims amount to millions of rand each year and were on the rise.

The lawsuit specifically named Discovery, stating that the scheme has sent spies and private investigators with concealed video cameras and recording equipment into private consultation rooms without consent.

According to the association, this is unlawful as it infringes on the doctor-patient relationship, and the doctor’s
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Is SA’s healthcare getting better?

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Globally, noncommunicable diseases were responsible for 70% of deaths in 2015, up from 60% in 2000. Ischaemic heart disease was the leading cause of death accounting for 8.8 million deaths in 2015, followed by stroke (6.2 million deaths) and lower respiratory infections (3.2 million deaths).

Communicable (infectious) diseases, on the other hand, were the cause of 12 million deaths worldwide in 2015 (in total), especially in low-income countries. These diseases include lower respiratory tract infections, diarrheal diseases, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

In South Africa, the number of deaths recorded in 2015 totalled 460,236 (compared to over one million births), indicating a 3% decline in deaths processed between 2015 and 2014. The majority of deaths were due to noncommunicable diseases (55.5% in 2015), an increase from 42.9% in 2005.

Interestingly, when compared to the global situation, the leading cause of natural deaths in South Africa in 2015 was t
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Pharma’s role in the government’s National Health Insurance

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In its current form, the proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) is by no means perfect and there remains a lot of uncertainty around funding, medical skills shortages, the role medical aids will play and how infrastructural problems, wastage and corruption in the public sector will be tackled.

“Healthcare reform challenges all of us that operate in the sector to keep and expand our place at the table. It is becoming increasingly clear, however, that NHI is here to stay, which makes it imperative for pharmaceutical companies to get involved in the debate at the highest level in order to help shape a sustainable and effective healthcare system for South Africa,” says Erik Roos, CEO of Pharma Dynamics…
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These are the cheapest and most expensive medical aids in South Africa

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The latest GTC (formerly Grant Thornton Capital) Medical Aid Survey for 2018 has been released, which compares local medical aid schemes on cost to members across various levels of cover.

South Africa’s medical aid industry is facing an uncertain time ahead with government recently pushing through two new healthcare bills that are set to shake up the entire system ahead of the launch of the National Healthcare Insurance (NHI) scheme.

According to GTC, there are still many lingering questions that need to be answered in term of government’s plans – with many risks in the proposed changes that could lead to higher costs for consumers who rely of private healthcare.

“The NHI and amendments to the Medical Schemes Bill are inevitable. The disparity between the have’s (some eight million members) and the have-not’s (some 45 million) is real and needs addressing. Government intervention is urgently required,” it said.

“It is however equally importa
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Most affordable medical aid schemes and hospital plans in South-Africa for 2017

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The medical aid industry saw a massive shake-up in April as National Treasury introduced new 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 was done in 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 new regulations will now outlaw all primary healthcare policies from 1 April. According to legislation these are not seen as full medical schemes, instead providing limited medical service benefits, such as GP visits, basic dentistry and optometry, and some acute and chronic medication.

The new laws also 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 pa
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So kies jy die regte mediese plan vir jou

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Hospitaalplanne, omvattende dekking, netwerkopsies . . . Besluit watter opsie vir jou die beste is. As jy lid is van ’n mediese fonds, het jy tot 15 Desember kans om jou voordeleopsie vir 2018 te verander. Oorweeg jou gesin se omstandighede: Hoeveel is julle; hoe is jul gesondheid; wat kan jy bekostig? Besluit dan watter..
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What’s driving up our healthcare costs?

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Discovery Health CEO explains why South Africans are paying higher medical aid premiums than ever before. Access to quality healthcare at an affordable price is a critical priority for every family, and in society at large. South Africans lucky enough to afford private healthcare have rapid and convenient access to some of the best quality..
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Medical aid waiting periods and late-joiner penalties: What. How. Why?

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The world of medical schemes in South Africa is a very different one to 25 years ago. There are strict rules and regulations governing the industry, there to protect both the members and the financial sustainability of the scheme. Now is the time of year when medical schemes announce their annual increases and benefit changes…
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