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Opinion: Health needed a recovery budget, we got the opposite

Opinion: Health needed a recovery budget, we got the opposite

By Tshidi Lencoasa, Khanyisa Mapipa, and Julia Chaskalson,
Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest

For healthcare, a post-pandemic human rights-focused budget would have allocated funding specifically for backlogs in access to health services from the past two years, as well as tackling the present inequities in access to healthcare that characterise the public health system. Tshidi Lencoasa, Khanyisa Mapipa, and Julia Chaskalson argue that this year’s budget does not do enough to enable government to realise people’s fundamental human right to access healthcare.

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How death is handled in health facilities – Can we do better?

How death is handled in health facilities – Can we do better?

By Ufrieda Ho,
Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest, Provinces

There is nothing humans can do about the fact that everyone dies eventually, but there may be room to do better when it comes to how some doctors, nurses, and care workers break the news of dying and death; and also how they give practical support to a grieving family. Ufrieda Ho looks at what measures are in place to guide healthcare workers, patients, and their families through this process in health facilities.

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Stix Morewa Hospital’s mental healthcare users stay put… for now.

Stix Morewa Hospital’s mental healthcare users stay put… for now.

By Thabo Molelekwa,
Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest, Mental Health, Provinces

In February, Stix Morewa Hospital in Selby, Johannesburg sent out a letter to the families of the over 400 mental healthcare users in their care. In this letter, families were reportedly informed that the Gauteng Department of Health will terminate its contract with the hospital by the end of March, which would have meant that the mental health users would have had to be transferred elsewhere. Thabo Molelekwa looks at the developments since then.

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Study suggests potential role for bnAbs in treating kids living with HIV

Study suggests potential role for bnAbs in treating kids living with HIV

By Elri Voigt,
Posted in: Healthcare system, HIV/AIDS, Latest

Broadly neutralising antibodies (bnAbs) are one of the most active and exciting areas in HIV research. Last year Spotlight reported on a “proof of concept” study showing that a specific bnAb can successfully prevent infection with certain strains of HIV. Now, we also have intriguing findings suggesting that bnAbs may have a role to play in the treatment of HIV in children. Elri Voigt reports.

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Editorial: Dysfunctional provincial health departments make a mockery of the ‘capable state’

Editorial: Dysfunctional provincial health departments make a mockery of the ‘capable state’

By Marcus Low,
Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest, Provinces

One of the great paradoxes in healthcare in South Africa is that, while we have impressive healthcare expertise in the country, most of our provincial health departments are poorly managed. Spotlight editor Marcus Low considers what this means for efforts to build state capacity in general, and for healthcare in particular.

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Opinion: Abortion access in Eastern Cape falls far short

Opinion: Abortion access in Eastern Cape falls far short

By Khanyisa Mapipa, Sibusisiwe Ndlela and Thokozile Mtsolongo,
Posted in: Eastern Cape, Healthcare system, Latest, Provinces, SRHR

Women and girls seeking abortions are often forced to seek informal, illegal, and unsafe abortions as a result of various systemic barriers. Khanyisa Mapipa, Sibusisiwe Ndlela, and Thokozile Mtsolongo look at the state of abortion services in the public sector in the Eastern Cape.

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Eastern Cape health department continues to use mud clinics

Eastern Cape health department continues to use mud clinics

By Luvuyo Mehlwana,
Posted in: Eastern Cape, Healthcare system, Latest, Provinces

Despite Eastern Cape Health authorities acknowledging that the continued use of mud clinics is a concern, rural residents still have to make do with these dilapidated clinics. Luvuyo Mehlwana visited some of these mud clinics to speak to some residents and asked the provincial health department about their plans to address this.

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Northern Cape health without permanent head for 20 months and counting

Northern Cape health without permanent head for 20 months and counting

By Refilwe Mochoari,
Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest, Northern Cape, Provinces

The Northern Cape Health Department has been without a permanent department head (HOD) since July 2020 and an acting head has been suspended following his arrest in August last year on charges of fraud and corruption. Organised labour and opposition parties in the province are concerned over the impact that the leadership instability has on healthcare services. Refilwe Mochoari reports.

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Head of Free State health department not suspended despite being charged

Head of Free State health department not suspended despite being charged

By Refilwe Mochoari,
Posted in: Free State, Healthcare system, Latest, Provinces

It is business as usual at the Free State Department of Health with the acting Head of the Department Godfrey Mahlatsi back at work after he was released on R5 000 bail on 11 February. Mahlatsi is accused of contravening the Public Finance Management Act, while some of his co-accused face charges ranging from corruption and fraud to money laundering. The alleged fraud and corruption led to an R8.7 million loss to the department. Refilwe Mochoari reports.

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OPEN LETTER: It takes more than a march to remedy systemic challenges to abortion access

OPEN LETTER: It takes more than a march to remedy systemic challenges to abortion access

By Sibusisiwe Ndlela, Khanyisa Mapipa and Thokozile Mtsolongo,
Posted in: Access to Medicines, Healthcare system, Latest, Reproductive Health, SRHR

On 17 February, Deputy Health Minister Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo led a march against unsafe abortions in Rustenburg, North West, but a march alone cannot eliminate barriers that prevent women and girls from accessing safe abortions in the public health system. Much more is needed, argue Sibusiwe Ndlela, Khanyisa Mapipa and Thokozile Mtsolongo in an open letter.

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More focus needed on ageing with HIV

More focus needed on ageing with HIV

By Elri Voigt,
Posted in: HIV/AIDS, Latest

HIV and ageing were one of the hot topics at the recently held Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections. Elri Voigt reports.

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Programme delivers comprehensive HIV prevention and SRH services to learners

Programme delivers comprehensive HIV prevention and SRH services to learners

By Tiyese Jeranji,
Posted in: Child health, Edition 6: HIV & teens, Edition 9: State of HIV, Healthcare system, HIV/AIDS, Latest, Reproductive Health, SRHR

Even though the rate of new HIV infections in young women and adolescent girls remains stubbornly high, provision and uptake of pills that can prevent HIV infection have generally been slow and lagging. One potential solution presented at the recent Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections is to provide the pills at schools. Tiyese Jeranji reports.

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