News

News

Covid-19 numbers fall, but future remains uncertain

23 Sep 2020

“Maybe most important for now, is that fewer people are dying (from COVID-19) now than two months ago. At least this is something that is both certain and unequivocally good news,” wrote Marcus Lowin Spotlight (21 September 2020)

[READ MORE]

Sin taxes will not be set aside for health

23 Sep 2020
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize told parliament that alcohol and other sin taxes will not be used to help fund the country’s healthcare sector.
[READ MORE]

Ascendis Health expects a rise in earnings

23 Sep 2020

Ascendis Health expects its earnings to increase by up to 333% (from R279-m to up to R1.2- bn) for the year ended 30 June 2020, reported Fin24 (23 September 2020).

As part of the strategy to reduce its debt, the group started selling its assets, with the most recent transaction the sale of its subsidiary Dezzo Trading, for R25-m. It is also selling Ascendis Direct Selling for R10.5-m.

[READ MORE]

'Anti-vaxxers put SA at risk'

22 Sep 2020
An Ipsos survey among 20 000 people from 27 countries suggests 74% agreed they would agree to a COVID-19 vaccination if one were available. However, in SA one in three people would refuse to get a vaccination. According to experts this could see those in high risk groups, like the elderly, suffer most.
[READ MORE]

Time bomb of cancer cases

21 Sep 2020
“As SA finally heads towards level 1 of the lockdown, there are fears that the country could be sitting on a time bomb of undetected cancer cases,” reported Saturday Star (19 September 2020). 
[READ MORE]

Medshield announces 2021 price hike

21 Sep 2020
Medshield announced an increase of 5.9% in members’ contribution fees for 2021.
[READ MORE]

SA joins measles vaccine trial in Covid-19 fight

21 Sep 2020
Researchers are preparing to launch the SA leg of an international trial investigating whether the well established measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) shot used in childhood immunisation programmes can protect front-line healthcare workers from Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
[READ MORE]

Stressed professionals in SA are struggling

21 Sep 2020
SA professionals are taking huge strain, according to the annual Stress Index, formulated each year by medical insurer Profmed, reported Times Select (21 September 2020) 
[READ MORE]

Medicine expenditure up in 2019

21 Sep 2020
According to the latest Mediscor Medicine Review, medicine expenditure in the Mediscor medical scheme population increased by 2.4% from 2018 to 2019.
[READ MORE]

COVID-19: The big wave is coming

09 Jun 2020

“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).

[READ MORE]