It’s been two years since Health-e News first met Oreokame Sehularo from the Northern Cape. Two birthday celebrations later, and the 11-year-old, affectionately called “Oreo” by family and close friends, is still waiting for a life saving stem cell donation. …
Less than 100 deceased organ donations take place in South Africa every year, while around 5000 patients are on the waiting list for an organ. This is according to the South African Transplantation Society and the South African Transplant Coordinators…
South Africa has limited – almost non-existent – mental health services for Deaf people. Before a Deaf person can access counselling or therapy, a sign language interpreter must be arranged. This introduces an additional barrier to mental healthcare. “Often the…
“Most of the times when I, or a friend, went to a clinic the healthcare workers didn’t want to help us because of the way we smelled or how we looked,” Chantel Sampson recalls. In 2018, the 42-year-old lived on…
The City of Johannesburg announced on Wednesday methane gas caused the explosion that took place on Bree street (now called Lillian Ngoyi street) in the inner city. The explosion made international headlines in mid-July with footage of the explosion going…
In the past 30 days, Johannesburg’s air pollution has reached the highest level since 2018. According to the South African Air Quality Index, the average PM2.5 concentrations have been at 72 micrograms per cubic metre. This is almost five times…
The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) says that flu transmission is currently at a moderate level and that circulation is declining. Based on historical data over a number of years, the NICD has seasonal thresholds which show the number…
Officials from the health department briefed the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on the National Health Insurance (NHI) today. The NHI aims to provide access to quality and affordable health services to meet patients’ healthcare needs. Last week, the National…
The SA Medical Association (SAMA) says fake doctors prey on members of the public who can’t afford healthcare. The HPCSA Inspectorate recently revealed 124 bogus doctors were arrested in the past three years. Established in 2014, the inspectorate started working…
“This baby is getting hungry and not getting enough food! She’s always crying because you’re not giving her food so that she can grow well!” These words rang in the ears of first-time mom Thandi Mhlanga as she prepared soft…
Gauteng now has a new 3D mammography machine which is more accurate in detecting breast cancer. The R3.8 million device is housed in Pink Drive’s new mobile truck. Founder and CEO of the organisation, Noelene Kotschan, says that this machine…
When Phumzile Mayiza, 33, started her menstrual cycle at 14, she was bewildered. Growing up in rural Kwa-Zulu Natal in kwaHlabisa, she was not exposed to information about what was happening to her body. “I felt very ashamed when my…
For years, residents of Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria, have complained about poor quality water and an unreliable water supply. For years, nothing has been done. This week, amidst a cholera outbreak that’s claimed the lives of 22 people, the Department…
Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH) now boasts a new general stores dispensary worth R60 million. And it’s all thanks to the Gift of the Givers. Two years ago a devastating fire damaged the hospital’s stores facility and other sections of…
This International Nurses Day is bittersweet for many nurses working in South Africa’s public healthcare system. With the devastating shortage of nurses, ongoing wage battles, unsafe working conditions, and lack of resources, nurses say there is very little to celebrate.…