News
Zweli Mkhize defends Health Department budget cuts
26 Nov 2020
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize defended the government in Parliament for its planned Health Department budget cuts amounting to R680-m, as fresh fears of a second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic surface, reported
Sunday Times Daily (26 November 2020).
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Covid-19 positive test rate now higher than at peak
25 Nov 2020
On November 25,
The Citizen reported that - according to the latest Covid-19 test results - 14 out of 100 tested patients came back positive, a figure significantly higher than when the country had reached its peak in July.
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Netcare CEO talks local growth
25 Nov 2020
Like its competitors, Mediclinic and Life Healthcare, Netcare has had a tough five years. Its share price declined by more than 65% since 2015, followed by Life Healthcare at just over 50% and Mediclinic at almost 50%. At the heart of their issues were regulations, a tough economy, tariff changes and, most recently, the impact of Covid-19, reported
Fin24 (25 November 2020).
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Swop of intern positions 'unethical'
25 Nov 2020
The SA Medical Association (SAMA) has urged anyone with information on medical interns allegedly swopping positions for payment to contact the association. This follows reports that medical students were willing to pay up to R100 000 for internships at preferred hospitals across the country.
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SA pledges R500-m to join global vaccine alliance
25 Nov 2020
During the Bloomberg Invest Africa virtual conference Finance Minister Tito Mboweni said that SA has pledged R500-m towards the World Health Organisation’s Covax programme, which aims to provide equitable access to proven Covid-19 vaccines in middle- and lower-income countries.
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Gauteng Government owes Life Esidimeni families R70-m
24 Nov 2020
The Attorneys Ulrich Roux and Associates, representing 113 families affected by the Life Esidimeni tragedy, wants to file a court application to force the Gauteng government to pay more than R70-m in outstanding compensation. (
Times Live 24 Nov 2020)
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AstraZeneca upbeat on Covid-19 vaccine
24 Nov 2020
The British drug maker AstraZeneca said it should have 200-m doses of he Covid-19 vaccine by the end of 2020, about four times as many as US competitor Pfizer. About 700-m doses could be ready across the world by the end of the first quarter of 2021.
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Netcare sends backup as second wave hits Eastern Cape
24 Nov 2020
Private hospital group Netcare is sending additional staff to its Eastern Cape facilities and considering suspending elective surgery as the number of Covid-19 in the Eastern Province has recently spiked to 6 285. Earlier in November the Nelson Mandela Bay’s public hospitals ran out of beds in their intensive care units.
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Medical students splash cash for posts
23 Nov 2020
Medical students are willing to pay up to R100 000 for internships at preferred hospitals across the country. On Facebook, a group called ‘Swapping Out: Medical Internship and Commserve in SA’ has about 4 800 members and as many as 1 800 in the Junior Doctors’ Association of South Africa (Judasa) 2021 Internship Cycle group on app Telegram,” reported
Weekend Argus (22 November 2020).
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Shortages of psychiatric medication is hitting hard
23 Nov 2020
“The impact of protracted shortages of psychiatric medication in the country is beginning to be felt by both the patients, who are in desperate need of the drugs to keep them stable, and their families, who have to live with the consequences,” wrote Vuyo Mkize in
City Press (22 November 2020).
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Netcare’s 2020 earnings plummet due to Covid-19
20 Nov 2020
Netcare hospital group estimates that it has lost about R3.7-bn in revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic, which saw it focus on treating Covid-19 patients and cancelling non-emergency surgeries. All private hospital groups cancelled non-emergency surgery to prepare them for Covid-19 and had much lower occupancy as a result. Netcare's occupancy in the financial year to end September was 52.5%, down from 66% in 2019.
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Biovac in talks to make COVID-19 vaccine
20 Nov 2020
On November 20,
Business Day reported that state-backed vaccine developer Biovac is in discussion with several pharmaceutical companies developing Covid-19 vaccines to potentially manufacture shots in SA. The public-private partnership was established to revive SA’s human vaccine manufacturing capabilities, with the state owning 47.5% and the majority stake held by a private consortium led by Immunotek.
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Life Healthcare has shown recovery since Covid-19
20 Nov 2020
According to Life Healthcare paid patient days in SA have recovered to about 90% of the level of 2019, after the pandemic shaved off operational profits in its year to end September. Covid-19 cost the group R2.3- bn in lost revenue in its Southern African operations to end-September, and R437-m at its international operations. (
Business Day 20 November 2020).
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Nelson Mandela Bay sees second surge in deaths
19 Nov 2020
The latest Medical Research Council (MRC) report shows weekly natural deaths in Nelson Mandela Bay have been tracking above the upper band for the past three weeks. The weekly number of natural deaths has shown a second surge with an excess of 245 deaths in the week to 10 November.
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Amazon shakes up another industry with online pharmacy
19 Nov 2020
Amazon has recently unveiled its biggest push into selling prescription drugs with the launch of a digital pharmacy and discounts in the US, reported Bloomberg (17 November 2020). Amazon Pharmacy, a section of its retail website and mobile application allows people to order medication online. Shoppers can pay using their health insurance. Prime members who do not use their insurance are eligible for discounts on generic and brand-name drugs on Amazon’s site or at about 50 000 participating pharmacies.
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