Magashule cleared way for controversial private ambulance company to cash in – Part 6
Buthelezi EMS netted more than R15-million from two suspect back-dated price increases from the Free State Department of Health, apparently without much scrutiny.
Controversial private ambulance company in line for new Free State tender – Part 5
A Gauteng-based ambulance operator, Buthelezi EMS, that is currently the subject of both Hawks and Treasury investigations has scored road and air ambulance contracts in the so-called Premier league provinces amounting to over a Billion Rand since 2013 and they are frontrunners to secure a lucrative new three year tender for Emergency Medical Services in the Free State.
North West doctors release open letter calling for end to closure of health services
Over 70 North West doctors have released an open letter expressing their concern over the impact the ongoing labour action is having on the delivery of health services.
Buthelezi EMS running a taxi service, not an ambulance service, say doctors and nurses – Part 4
Doctors and nurses in the Free State and North West have accused Buthelezi EMS, the private company contracted to run provincial ambulance services, of operating like a minibus taxi and “drop and go” service.
Motsoaledi asks treasury to investigate Buthelezi EMS
Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has asked treasury to investigate the procurement of ambulance services from Buthelezi EMS, a controversial private ambulance company that has been awarded large contracts in the Free State and North West.
Mpumalanga department of health broke rules for controversial ambulance company – Part 3
The Mpumalanga Department of Health has defied guidance from its provincial treasury and acted in contravention of the Public Finance Management Act in awarding a three-year contract to Buthelezi HEMS, a joint venture between a controversial private ambulance company called Buthelezi EMS and HALO Aviation. This has emerged from court documents obtained by Spotlight.
North West pays double for dubious private ambulance service – Part 2
The North West health department has effectively outsourced the bulk of its emergency medical service to a private ambulance company who is submitting hugely inflated invoices every month with very little appetite by officials to stop the looting. Spotlight joins the dots in this two-part investigative feature Health4Sale.
North West blows HIV money on controversial private ambulance service – Part 1
The North West Department of Health blew over R100-million expressly earmarked for HIV on two controversial private ambulance companies. Serious red flags are also raised by some of the invoices submitted by one of these companies. Spotlight joins the dots in this two-part investigative feature Health4Sale.
TB response tests Ramaphosa’s commitment to the poor
South Africa has been in the grip of a TB crisis for decades. It is a crisis that has mostly dropped below the radar – socially, politically and economically.
Vindication of the Rights of People with Mental Illnesses to be People
On Monday, March 19 2018 in hours immediately after Justice Dikgang Moseneke read out the last lines of his judgment in the Life Esidimeni Arbitration, there was a media scrum the likes of which I have not experienced before. Read more.
South Africa has a new medicines regulator
The board of the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has held its first meeting, thus officially bringing SAHPRA into existence. This means that South Africa’s old regulatory authority, the Medicines Control Council, no longer exists.
8 key findings from new district health report
The Health Systems Trust last week published the latest edition of the District Health Barometer (DHB). The DHB provides a wealth of district, provincial and national level data on a wide variety of indicators. Below we have picked out eight interesting national-level findings.