Residents in the surrounding areas of Potchefstroom in the North West have had to live with little or no water for weeks. Load shedding has been identified as the most recent cause as water problems continue to plague the JB…
Residents of the Free State town of Parys are over the moon following the opening of a new clinic last week. This new facility will help ease the burden of overcrowding often experienced at the nearby Tumahole clinic. Free State…
The mining town of Jagersfontein in the Free State is facing dry, dark days ahead without water as the situation deteriorates. It is so bad that patients take buckets of water when visiting local clinics. Water reserves have run dry…
The devastating scenes from last week’s floods in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) provided a stark reminder of not only how fragile life is, but also how healthcare systems rely on infrastructure and roads in times of need. With almost 450 people having…
Two of the Free State’s biggest hospitals have postponed some surgeries as Bloemfontein’s water shortage enters its second week. The Universitas and Pelonomi Hospitals are making do with water rations following the immediate cut of water supply from their reservoirs…
The Free State Health Department hopes boosting orthopaedic capacity at district hospitals will help eradicate long waiting times for patients. At the moment, the Pelonomi Regional Hospital in Bloemfontein, is under severe strain due to the number of referrals. Department…
Three years of fundraising has finally paid off for the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital which now boasts a newly-upgraded emergency centre. The Children’s Hospital Trust’s fundraising team raised a total of R122 million and the Western Cape government…
Visitation guidelines at healthcare facilities in the Western Cape have been adjusted, now that the province is clear from the fourth wave. Visitors and escorts are now allowed to be present at health facilities under special circumstances. Screening of visitors…
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has expressed alarm at the number of medico-legal claims brought against the Limpopo Department of Health which amounts to a staggering R14 billion. Although worried, the human rights watchdog is hardly surprised since…
A bungled tender process has seen the critical aeromedical services in the Eastern Cape (EC) grounded which is costing lives and delaying service delivery. Given the province’s difficult terrain, these medical helicopters are crucial in airlifting patients who require urgent…
There is some light at the end of the tunnel for cancer patients following the establishment of radiotherapy centres at two of Gauteng’s major hospitals. Two new machines – worth R52 million each – arrived at Chris Hani Baragwanath and…
Every patient deserves to feel comfortable and able to speak to health service providers in a language they most understand. However, this isn’t always possible for visually or speech impaired individuals who need Braille and sign language to communicate. Health-e…
Antimicrobial resistance has been named one of the top ten global public health threats to humanity according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It has been estimated that by 2050, ten million deaths per annum could occur as a result…
Scores of patients seeking treatment at Free State clinics have been sent home due to rising COVID-19 infections among health workers. Several facilities are temporarily closed and Bloemfontein residents have either been turned away or referred to other facilities without…
The Khujwana Clinic remains unfazed by the numerous complaints of staff taking lunch and forcing patients to wait. Not even a sit-in staged by the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) got their attention at the Tzaneen-based health facility. At one stage,…