The Rural Doctors Association of South Africa has urged government to act immediately to address the crisis in rural hospitals and to develop meaningful incentives to attract doctors to these areas. Among its concerns Rudasa lists the worrying statistic that only a quarter of community service doctors will work in rural hospitals this year and the continued difficulties experienced by foreign-qualified doctors to have their work permits renewed to serve in South African hospitals.

International poverty relief organisation, Oxfam has thrown its weight behind the South African Government and AIDS activists'€™ attempts to bring affordable life-saving drugs to marginalised South African communities. Launching Oxfam Great Britain'€™s (GB) "Cut the Cost" Campaign in Pretoria, International Director Stewart Wallis, said he hoped Government would "win the court case" against the pharmaceuticals. Anso Thom reports

The Western Cape Health Department confirmed this week that the results of tests conducted on a man suspected of carrying Congo Fever are positive. The  Maitland abbatoir worker is being treated in an isolation ward at Groote  Schuur Hospital. About 90 people, including family, colleagues and health workers have come into contact with him, but what are the facts around this disease?