According to the Harambe Entrepreneurship Alliance network, the global pandemic has had far-reaching effects for African start-ups, as between 70% and 80% of those not backed by venture capital face possible closure due to the economic crisis. – reported Financial Mail (6 August 2020).
National Treasury has ended the emergency procurement process for Personal Protective Equipment and protective clothing, saying it's back to business as usual for government suppliers, reported News24 (6 August 2020).
On August 6, News24 reported that the weekly number of COVID-19 deaths in SA has fallen for the first time in three months.
The small hospital group, RH Bophelo, which listed on the JSE in 2017, has set its sights on establishing itself as a force in the healthcare industry. RH Bophelo aims to provide affordable healthcare.
Although all three SA’s private hospital groups have obtained supplies of the Indian drug manufacturer Cipla’s cut-price generic version of the coronavirus drug remdesivir, the company has not yet received orders from provincial health department, reported Business Day (4 August 2020).
German health group Siemens Healthineers will buy US cancer treatment device maker Varian Medical Systems for
$16.4-bn, giving it a foothold in the oncology sector, reported Business Day (3 August 2020). The takeover seeks to create a global leader in cancer-care solutions by 2025.
“Wealthy countries have already locked up more than a billion doses of coronavirus vaccines, raising worries that the rest of the world will be at the back of the queue in the global effort to defeat the pathogen, “ reported Bloomberg (2 August 2020).
In an article in the SA Medical Journal, fifth-year medical students from Stellenbosch University’s Centre for Medical Ethics and Law raised concerns aboutthe “neglect” of foreign registrars amid their duty to SA during the pandemic.
Doctors and specialists, in particular, have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19, with consultations declining between 60% and 90%. Due to social distancing, the use of telemedicine or telehealth has grown; providing people with more affordable access to healthcare.
“It is only a matter of time before the rest of South Africa reaches the surge in COVID-19 coronavirus cases currently being experienced in the Western Cape, experts warn,” reported City Press (7 June 2020).