Health Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, has condemned violence and disorder perpetrated by staff members at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital in Johannesburg, protesting against the non-payment of performance bonuses, saying the attack on the sick and vulnerable is unacceptable, and called for the arrest of perpetrators.
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Dr Aaron Motsoaledi calls for the arrest of violent hospital protesters
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New Act could redress medical scheme sustainability issues
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Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has hinted at a number of reforms that directly address challenges of sustainability that the medical schemes industry is currently facing.
“We know that rising costs in healthcare are outstripping inflation, and legislated steps to address this………
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The POPI Act:- What it means for medical aid schemes
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When implemented, the Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act will fundamentally change the way personal data is managed. Corporate South Africa, including medical aid schemes, insurance brokers, financial advisors, marketers and even brands need to start preparing now for its impact.
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Port Elizabeth’s Ernest Malgas drug rehabilitation centre for kids facing major problems
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The Eastern Cape’s only state-owned drug rehabilitation centre for children – a R67-million facility opened with much fanfare in Port Elizabeth just two years ago – is falling into disrepair, with rehab services compromised.
The electric fence at the Ernest Malgas drug rehabilitation centre in Red Location is no longer working, resulting in some of the drug-addicted children escaping.
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The University of Cape Town research focus on combating poverty-related heart disease in Africa
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According to studies, one of the leading causes of death in Africa and many developing countries is cardiovascular disease (CVD). Resources in low-and-middle-income-countries are limited, therefore, it is imperative that interventions are guided by the cost-effectiveness of screening and early treatment opportunities.
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The Rands and sense of why the National Health Insurance may lead to better health budgets
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About 200m from where I work in Rosebank, Johannesburg, there is a private clinic housing a general practitioner, a team of specialised surgeons, a rehabilitation centre, and state-of-the-art imaging and radiology technology.
If I needed medical attention, I could seek it quickly — so long as I was able to pay upfront.
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From your toilet to your tap and back again:- The future of water
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Water bursts from a brass spout with violent urgency. It foams through the tap angrily and on to a sprawling field. The stream fans out, forming veins that meet swampy arteries carved by footpaths in the grass.
After some time, a mother bearing a baby on her back approaches, swinging a plastic bucket. A bit later, three children holding empty Coke bottles wobble towards the tap across a wooden plank placed over the constantly churned earth.
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Lets look at why manufacturing a key vaccine in South Africa is so important
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South Africa has been granted a licence to manufacture one of the world’s most important vaccines. It’s the first time the country will be able to do so since the mid 1990s, and is news that will result in many positive spin-offs for the country.
The hexavalent vaccine Hexaxim is used to vaccinate children against six life-threatening infectious diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis (whooping cough), inactivated polio, ………….
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Annual Medical Aid Scheme claims expenditure far outstrips inflation by double
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Annual medical scheme claims expenditure rose on average by 11.3% a year over the past decade, far faster than consumer price inflation, which increased on average by just 6.1%.
The Discovery Health Medical Scheme (DHMS) data came from its administrator, Discovery Health.
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VAT increase won’t impact on medical aid contributions
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There has been much debate around the 1% value-added tax (VAT), its impact on consumers and just how this will affect the money left in their pockets at the end of the month. With the revised general fuel levy, it’s clear that consumers will have to tighten their belts and adhere to stricter budgets. The..
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