Mpumalanga health department responds to latest clinic monitoring findings

By Nthusang Lefafa, June 27, 2023

Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest, Mpumalanga, NHI, Provinces

According to the latest report from community-based clinic monitoring group Ritshidze, users of public sector health facilities in Mpumalanga are experiencing shorter waiting times, cleaner facilities, and extended antiretroviral refills compared to previous years. But Ritshidze also reports ongoing staff shortages, problematic staff attitudes, and problems with infrastructure. Nthusang Lefafa unpacks the new findings and asks the province’s health department what they are planning in response.

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Mpumalanga health department responds to latest clinic monitoring findings

Despite undertakings, still no permanent head of health in Northern Cape

By Refilwe Mochoari, May 10, 2023

Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest, NHI, Northern Cape, Provinces

The Northern Cape Department of Health has for the last three years only had acting heads of department. Despite undertakings from the Office of the Premier last year and again earlier this year that an appointment will be made soon, the department still has no permanent head, something that has opposition political parties and some unions up in arms. Refilwe Mochoari reports.

Tags: Dr Deon Theys Dr Zamani Saul featured Head of Health health budgets health governance healthcare workers HODs human resources Ideal Clinic programme MEC for Health in Northern Cape Northern Cape Northern Cape Department of Health NPA public health administration public health facilities public health system Public service SIU staff shortages

Despite undertakings, still no permanent head of health in Northern Cape

OPINION: Struggle for migrant health rights still far from over after landmark judgment

By Mbali Baduza and Kholofelo Mphahlele, April 21, 2023

Posted in: Child health, Gauteng, Healthcare system, HIV/AIDS, Latest, NHI, Provinces, Reproductive Health

In a landmark court decision, the Gauteng High Court recently confirmed the rights of all pregnant and lactating women and children under age six to access services for free at all levels of care. The court order sets a good precedent for migrant health rights going forward, writes Mbali Baduza and Kholofelo Mphahlele as they explain the build-up to the court proceedings and why this is significant for re-affirming the right to access to healthcare for all in terms of section27 of the Constitution.

Tags: Access to Health asylum seeker Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital Department of Home Affairs Doctors without Borders featured Gauteng Department of Health health for all Maternal and Child Health medical xenophobia migrant health Migrants MSF Policy Implementation Guidelines on Patient Administration and Revenue Management refugees SECTION27 Southern African HIV Clinicians Society

OPINION: Struggle for migrant health rights still far from over after landmark judgment

Opinion: Urgent course correction needed on NHI, climate change, and economic policy

By Louis Reynolds, March 17, 2023

Posted in: Child health, Healthcare system, Latest, NHI

Unless we get ahead of both the climate crisis and the current levels of pervasive injustice, we will never be able to catch up – even if the National Health Insurance Project achieves what it originally intended, argues Professor Louis Reynolds.

Tags: Centre for Environmental Rights Ceri child health chronic malnutrition climate and health climate change climate crisis climate-resilient health systems Community Health Care Workers drought featured food insecurity Inverse Care Law NHI NHI Bill pregnancy Social Determinants of Health UHC UN Framework Convention on Climate Change water stress

Opinion: Urgent course correction needed on NHI, climate change, and economic policy

OPINION: Underinvestment in healthcare infrastructure will cost us in the long run

By Mbali Baduza and Matshidiso Lencoasa, March 3, 2023

Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest, NHI

Investment in public health facilities is crucial as the country weathers storms on various fronts – from drought (water shortages) and flooding putting strain on health infrastructure to a harsh economic climate that makes private healthcare unaffordable to more and more people. Mbali Baduza and Matshidiso Lencoasa assess the investments in infrastructure in the budget and what it means for the planned National Health Insurance system.

Tags: budget speech 2023 climate and health climate-resilient health systems COVID-19 Department of Public Works and Infrastructure Dr Joe Phaahla featured health budget health facilities Health Facility Revitalisation Grant healthcare infrastructure healthcare workers hospital maintenance infrastructure projects loadshedding mud clinics National Infrastructure Plan National State of Disaster national treasury NHI primary health Public Health Universal Health Care

OPINION: Underinvestment in healthcare infrastructure will cost us in the long run

OPINION: The billions allocated for infrastructure require more progressive procurement systems and oversight

By Zukiswa Kota, March 2, 2023

Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest, NHI

Spending on public sector infrastructure over the 2023 medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF) is estimated at R903 billion and the health sector accounts for 5% of this. The well-documented poor maintenance and oversight of projects, also in the health sector, will require close monitoring of trends across the public sector, particularly where procurement and contracting is concerned, writes Zukiswa Kota.

Tags: budget speech 2023 centralised procurement public health Clinics Corruption in Health CoST Infrastructure Transparency Initiative Digital Vibes Dr Zweli Mkhize electricity Enoch Godongwana featured health budget health infrastructure hospital infrastructure hospitals Ideal Clinic programme loadshedding national anti-corruption strategy National Infrastructure Plan national treasury procurement reform PSAM Public Health public health sector Public Procurement Bill Ritshidze Project SDG 16 SOEs water

OPINION: The billions allocated for infrastructure require more progressive procurement systems and oversight

OPINION: Budget 2023 – opportunity missed to refocus public health spending?

By Russell Rensburg, February 23, 2023

Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest, NHI

Budgets, while important, are not the right mechanism to drive the structural change needed to improve the responsiveness of our public health system in meeting the needs of the population. But, argues Russel Rensburg, we can reorient the health system towards meeting the health needs of the population and then let the budget bolster the reforms. Here he provides some suggestions on how to go about it and contrasts that with the budget announced by Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana this week.

Tags: budget justice coalition budget speech 2023 conditional grants featured Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana health budget health facilities health infrastructure health reforms hospital maintenance hospitals NAPHISA national treasury NHI NHI Bill provincial equitable share public health administration RHAP Universal Health Care

OPINION: Budget 2023 – opportunity missed to refocus public health spending?

OPINION: NHI Bill must still clear many hurdles to ensure adequate medicine access

By Yanga Nokhepheyi, Marlise Richter, and Fatima Hassan, February 17, 2023

Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest, NHI

The Health Department’s recent response to submissions and its own recommendations on amendments to the National Health Insurance Bill sadly does not realise the gravity of the threat to the future of medicine selection and access. As the Bill currently stands, it will leave us at the mercy of advisory committees that bear no duty to be transparent in deciding which medicines people will be able to access under NHI, the authors argue.

Tags: COVID vaccine featured health budgets medicine pricing Medicine Selection Medicines National Health Insurance NHI Bill Office of health products procurement People's Vaccine Campaign Pharmaceutical pharmaceutical companies pharmaceutical industry Pricing and Procurement Universal Health Care

OPINION: NHI Bill must still clear many hurdles to ensure adequate medicine access

Decaying infrastructure at Tambo Hospital still putting patients and health workers at risk

By Thabo Molelekwa, November 16, 2022

Posted in: Gauteng, Healthcare system, Healthcare Workers, Latest, NHI, Provinces

Although the Tambo Memorial Hospital in Boksburg, Gauteng in 2017 had been declared unfit for human habitation” and “an occupational hazard, patients and healthcare workers are continuing to receive and provide health services under unusually difficult conditions. Some say they fear for their lives. Thabo Molelekwa visited the hospital and spoke to some healthcare workers and patients about conditions at the hospital and asked the provincial health department about plans to address the concerns.

Tags: featured Gauteng Department of Health health budgets health infrastructure healthcare workers hospital maintenance Office of Health Standards Compliance OHSC provincial equitable share public health facilities SAMA Tambo Memorial Hospital

Decaying infrastructure at Tambo Hospital still putting patients and health workers at risk

Construction and maintenance delays plague ‘ideal hospital’ in Kroonstad

By Refilwe Mochoari, November 4, 2022

Posted in: COVID-19, Free State, Healthcare system, Latest, NHI, Provinces

Some healthcare services at Boitumelo Regional Hospital in Kroonstad are hamstrung by construction delays, poor maintenance, and water shortages – despite the hospital being classified as one of the Free State’s ‘ideal hospitals’. Refilwe Mochoari investigates.

Tags: Boitumelo Hospital featured Free State Department of Health Free State Health MEC Motseng Tsiu health budgets health facilities accreditation health facility health infrastructure hopsitals hospital maintenance Hospital management Hospital Revitalisation Programme ideal hospital framework Mariette Pittaway National Health Insurance NHI NHI Bill operating theatres surgery backlogs

Construction and maintenance delays plague ‘ideal hospital’ in Kroonstad

ANALYSIS: Mixed feelings about NHI at public health conference

By Elri Voigt, October 5, 2022

Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest, NHI

National Health Insurance (NHI) was one of the hot topics at the 2022 Public Health Association of South Africa Conference recently held in Durban. While several speakers and attendees expressed support for the principles underpinning NHI, many also expressed reservations. Elri Voigt assesses what the conference told us about the views of some of South Africa’s public health experts on NHI.

Tags: corruption featured health budgets health facilities accreditation health systems. SAMA healthcare system healthcare workers minister of health NAPHISA National Department of Health National Health Insurance National Public Health Institute of South Africa NHI NHI Bill NHI Fund NHI Fund Board Nicholas Crisp Office of Health Standards Compliance oshc Parliament PFMA Phasa Public Health Association of South Africa public health facilities public health registrar Right to health SIU South African Medical Association Treatment Action Campaign

ANALYSIS: Mixed feelings about NHI at public health conference

Healthcare problems persist at ‘ideal clinics’, studies show

By Elri Voigt, September 19, 2022

Posted in: Gauteng, Healthcare system, Healthcare Workers, Latest, NHI, Provinces

The ideal clinic programme has been one of government’s key healthcare interventions in recent years. An extensive review conducted of the initiative in Gauteng suggests that outcomes are mixed. Elri Voigt reports on findings from four studies on the programme presented at last week’s Public Health Association of South Africa conference in Durban.

Tags: 17th annual conference of the Public Health Association of South Africa clinic conditions clinic waiting times Clinics featured Gauteng Health Department healthcare workers ICRM Ideal Clinic programme Ideal Clinic Realisation and Management programme ideal clinics National Health Insurance NHI patient care patient files patient satisfaction Phasa primary health facilities

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