COVID-19: Is South Africa prepared for medicine shortages?
How might COVID-19 exacerbate medicines shortages in South Africa and what measures are in place to mitigate the impact of shortages. Catherine Tomlinson investigates for Spotlight.
COVID-19: A visit to Tygerberg Hospital’s ward D-10
Shortly after Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced South Africa’s latest tally of 13 confirmed COVID-19 cases – Spotlight got a glimpse of the isolation unit at Tygerberg Hospital where three patients are currently in isolation and awaiting test results to see if they are infected.
Language barriers and overworked staff in Barkly West
In a candid interview, Aletta and James Wilscott of Barkly West in the Northern Cape lay bare the everyday challenges they face at the town’s Professor ZK Matthews Hospital. Spotlight visited the hospital to learn more.
What it’s like: Being a cleaner at the Charlotte Maxeke casualty ward
As a cleaner at the emergency casualty ward at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital in Johannesburg, Sakhile Masombuka has seen a lot of blood and suffering. He chatted to Spotlight about his work.
OPEN LETTER: So, about our struggling healthcare system, Mr President
President Cyril Ramaphosa will today deliver his third state of the nation (SONA) address. Here is a few reminders and requests for his SONA.
Long awaited regulations for Nursing training gazetted: Now what?
Regulations relating to the accreditation of postgraduate qualifications for nursing and the designated nursing colleges that will offer the new qualification, was gazetted last week while questions remain about the overall readiness of these colleges.
Mental Health Unit is a ‘disaster’, says Public Service Commissioner
The Public Service Commission (PSC) made a surprise visit to the Cecilia Makiwane Mental Health Unit – 10 days after Spotlight published its investigation into a whistleblower’s plea about the unit’s dire state.
The plan to revive medicines regulation in South Africa
SAHPRA inherited a backlog of around 16 000 medicine regulatory applications from the MCC. How can this backlog be processed and medicines regulation improved in future?
Health DG welcomes new guide to National Health Act
SECTION27 has just published the third edition of its National Health Act Guide. Read what South Africa’s Director General of Health had to say about it.
Assessing the Motsoaledi years
Dr Aaron Motsoaledi was South Africa’s Minister of Health from 2009 to 2019. Marcus Low takes a look back at the successes and failures of the Motsoaledi years.
Our health system: Babies are the “canaries in the mine”
If our hospitals were mines they would be declared unsafe. Unfortunately though our canary-babies and their mothers can’t choose not to go into the mine.
But hey, who cares?
Once upon a time and not so long ago our politicians and senior public servants cared about the lives of other people. They cared about the loss of life. They took personal risks to prevent it. They went to prison. They went into exile. They risked their own security and comfort. That was once upon a time. That was history.