In-depth: Surgery catch-up hamstrung by shortage of ICU nurses

Posted in: Spotlight

Hospitals in South Africa have been put under immense strain over the past two years as beds were filled with COVID-19 patients and elective surgeries had to be put on hold. To make things worse, pre-existing shortages of intensive care trained nurses and other critical staff were exacerbated by healthcare workers themselves contracting SARS-CoV-2 and falling ill or having to isolate themselves. Tiyese Jeranji explores how Gauteng and the Western Cape are catching up on elective surgeries and asks what is being done about the underlying problem of staff shortages.

In-depth: Surgery catch-up hamstrung by shortage of ICU nurses

Omicron in children: What we have learnt so far

Posted in: COVID-19, Healthcare system, Latest

Early in South Africa’s fourth COVID-19 wave, dominated by the Omicron variant, concerns were raised on what appeared to be an increase in hospitalisations among children. A few months on, Elri Voigt asks local experts what we have learnt about the Omicron variant in children.

Omicron in children: What we have learnt so far

OPINION: What the Law Reform Commission’s proposals on medico-legal cases can mean for claimants

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

The South African Law Reform Commission recently published its discussion paper on medico-legal claims. Baone Twala unpacks the Commission’s proposals on law reform and what it may mean for claimants and the government.

OPINION: What the Law Reform Commission’s proposals on medico-legal cases can mean for claimants

EpiPens: People in South Africa often can’t access this lifesaving allergy treatment

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Healthcare system, Latest

Epinephrine auto-injectors, often known by the commercial name EpiPen, can be life-savers for people suffering severe allergic reactions, but the treatments are difficult to find in South Africa and expensive.

EpiPens: People in South Africa often can’t access this lifesaving allergy treatment

In-depth: Where we are in the NHI legislative process and what happens next?

Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest

On Wednesday this week, it will be the 25th day of public hearings in Parliament on the National Health Insurance Bill (NHI) since the hearings started in May last year. In Part 2 of this two-part series on the NHI Bill, Alicestine October looks at how far the Bill has come in the legislative process and what to expect in the months ahead.

In-depth: Where we are in the NHI legislative process and what happens next?

In-depth on NHI: Common themes emerging from parliamentary hearings (PART 1)

Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest

On Wednesday this week, it will be the 25th day of public hearings in Parliament on the National Health Insurance Bill since the hearings started in May last year. In Part 1 of this two-part series on the NHI Bill, Alicestine October looks at how MPs have dealt with oral submissions on the Bill in Parliament so far and assesses what this means for the Bill going forward.

In-depth on NHI: Common themes emerging from parliamentary hearings (PART 1)

In-depth: Landmark survey of key populations confirms scale of problems

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Edition 8: NSP in general, Edition 9: State of HIV, Healthcare system, Healthcare Workers, HIV/AIDS, Latest, LGBTI, NSP and SANAC, Sex Work, SRHR

People who belong to key populations, such as men who have sex with men, often report that it is difficult for them to access health services – for example, due to negative healthcare worker attitudes. Now, a large survey published last week by community healthcare monitoring group Ritshidze provides important statistics that not only confirm that such experiences are widespread but also help in pinning down some specific issues. Tiyese Jeranji reports.

In-depth: Landmark survey of key populations confirms scale of problems

Experts unpack cabinet’s easing of restrictions

Posted in: Spotlight

This week, South Africa’s COVID-19 regulations were amended to state that people who have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 who do not have symptoms do not have to self-isolate. People who have tested positive and who do have COVID-19 symptoms have to isolate for seven days unless a longer period is recommended by a medical practitioner. Chris Bateman spoke to some local experts about the reasoning behind the changes and what other changes may be warranted.

Experts unpack cabinet’s easing of restrictions

Self-collected HPV tests feasible but still long way off

Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest, Reproductive Health, SRHR

An innovative new technology that allows women to collect their own samples for HPV testing, rather than having the sample taken by a healthcare worker, was recently tested in the Eastern Cape. Elri Voigt spoke to local experts about the study and what such a self-collected test might mean for cervical cancer detection in South Africa.

Self-collected HPV tests feasible but still long way off

Analysis: Is there a way out of SA’s medico-legal morass?

Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest

With the State Liability Amendment Bill reintroduced in Parliament and a recently published discussion paper from the South African Law Reform Commission, the way medical negligence claims are handled in South Africa may soon change. Spotlight editor Marcus Low unpacks some of the legislative and other options on the table.

Analysis: Is there a way out of SA’s medico-legal morass?

In-depth: Top 10 health issues to watch in 2022

Posted in: COVID-19, Healthcare system, HIV/AIDS, Latest, Mental Health, NHI

COVID-19 will continue to dominate headlines in 2022, but from National Health Insurance to the availability of a new HIV prevention injection, it will also be an important year for other areas of health service delivery and for health system governance and reforms. Here is Spotlight’s pick of the top ten issues to keep an eye on.

In-depth: Top 10 health issues to watch in 2022

Questions over implementation of SA’s new infection control plan

Posted in: COVID-19, Healthcare system, Latest, Provinces

Whether it is in the queue outside a community healthcare clinic, in a GP’s waiting room, or in the ICU at a private sector hospital, infections acquired at healthcare facilities pose a threat to people’s health. Nthusang Lefafa looks at government’s recently relaunched infection prevention and control plans and some obstacles to its implementation.