MTHATHA. - OR Tambo health district is among the 10 pilot sites for the proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) in South Africa. The district has had a visit from the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi and various preparations have been done for the launch of this project, such as the training of health professionals.
Government's National Health Insurance (NHI) rollout, specifically to the 10 provincial pilot sites, was the focus of finance minister Pravin Gordhan's budget speech. However, while commentators welcomed the renewed focus on NHI, they wanted to hear more on rooting our failures and corruption within the health system.
Progress in the 10 districts designated as National Health Insurance (NHI) pilots has been slower than expected, and dismal in the Eastern Cape's OR Tambo district.
Speaking last week health minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi likened it to building a house, and that they were busy digging the trenches while in the Eastern Cape 'we are still designing the house'.
LUSIKISIKI. ' Residents from Mevana district in the Eastern Cape were stunned by the level of service they received from the emergency services in the area. This community, who is used to long queues, medicine stock outs and generally poor health services was pleasantly surprised when the emergency services arrived within minutes after they logged a call.
President Zuma discussed a range of health issues in his State of the Nation Address, specifically National Health Insurance, TB and lifestyle diseases. Read the part of his speech dealing with health here.
LUSIKISIKI. ' Patients and community members from this Eastern Cape village clashed with police during a march to the local office of the Department of Health where they delivered a memorandum of grievances about the health services in the area.
Africa Health Placements (AHP) conducted interviews with local and foreign-qualified doctors to determine what factors attracted them to South Africa and what factors could potentially push them away from working in the public sector, to examine their thoughts on management, team work and perceptions in public healthcare facilities in South Africa, as well as their experiences both in and outside the hospital.
Vhembe. ' Long queues and people being sent home without treatment is hopefully something of the past for patients at the Matavhela Clinic in Limpopo where an extra nurse joined the team of medical staff recently.
Tshwane. - The news that the United States President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) was discontinuing its financial support to non-governmental organisations in South Africa was received with shock by the thousands of patients at Hope for Life, an NGO in Winterveld in the northern region of the City of Tshwane that is now facing closure.
Scores of state patients living with HIV are in danger of dying after a myriad of problems saw the Mthatha Medical Deport unable to dispense antiretrovirals for a number of weeks.
The health minister has announced that 102 hospital CEO posts have been filled with a drive to recruit top candidates for the remaining 16 unfilled posts. Read the minister's full statement here.
Lusikisiki. ' The Eastern Cape Provincial Department of Health has not delivered on their promise of a new, fully-functional Village Clinic to replace the previous one that had to close down after the department failed to pay rent for the premises.
Lusikisiki. ' There is no running water, electricity or even ablution facilities at the 'new' Village Clinic in this rural town in the Eastern Cape.
More than 50 000 HIV positive patients in the Eastern Cape as at risk of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment interruption due to ongoing drug supply shortages.
A non-governmental organisation, which focuses on the well-being of pregnant women and their children is showing the way on how to re-engineer South Africa's primary healthcare system in both urban and rural settings.
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