Professor Feroza Motara remembers how she felt when the Minister of Health announced in February that the hospital where she works would become a designated COVID-19 hospital. Melissa Javan interviewed her about life and work on the frontlines of South Africa’s COVID-19 response.
The two Netcare private hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal hardest hit by COVID-19 outbreaks, reopened this week with lessons that there’s no room to drop the ball when it comes to infection control. UFRIEDA HO reports.
Rhodes University and the Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform are working together to make sure more people have access to hand sanitiser.
The national lockdown has bought South Africa some time to get health facilities ready for COVID-19. Tiyese Jeranji looks at measures underway to prepare George Hospital for the expected surge in cases.
As the country intensifies its efforts to curb COVID-19 through mass screening and testing, stigma in some communities threatens to derail these efforts. Luvuyo Mehlwana reports on the situation in the Eastern Cape.
John Hlangeni was the first person known to have died of COVID-19 in the Free State. Refilwe Mekoa spoke to his family and found out more about how the dead are treated in Mangaung.
Since January Dr Arifa Parker has served at the coalface of South Africa’s fight against COVID-19. Biénne Huisman chatted to her about what life is like in the eye of the storm.
Two provinces have said they will force people with COVID-19 to isolate in state facilities irrespective of whether they can safely self-isolate at home. Kathryn Cleary investigates the legal and public health side of these decisions.
Mamelodi Hospital in Pretoria made headlines in May last year when 76-year-old Martha Marais was found tied to a bench in the facility’s Accident and Emergency section. Spotlight visited the hospital to see what has changed.
Last year KwaZulu-Natal celebrated three districts’ achievement of the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets. But celebrations may have been premature, as new data shows that no district in KZN in fact met the targets. Spotlight visited one of the districts to investigate.
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.
When Gauteng Health MEC Bandile Masuku was sworn in last year, he committed to turn the department around – a department the Gauteng premier described as ‘on its knees’. Spotlight sat down with Masuku to talk about staff morale, COVID-19, NHI, Mamelodi Hospital, and more.