Analysis: Making access to surgical care a reality in district hospitals

Posted in: Eastern Cape, Healthcare system, Healthcare Workers, Latest, Northern Cape, Provinces

Earlier this year, Spotlight published a two-part series on the human cost of surgery waiting times and asked what could be done about it. One such solution proposed by some is to devolve less complicated surgical care procedures to district hospitals. The AfroSurg3 Conference held in September, which brought together surgical stakeholders from 11 African countries to improve access to care, shed some light on how this might work. Alicestine October reports.

Analysis: Making access to surgical care a reality in district hospitals

Analysis: What will a new turnaround plan mean for Kimberley Hospital?

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

Northern Cape Health MEC Marupeng Lekwene and the CEO of the Robert Sobukwe Hospital in Kimberley recently launched a turnaround plan to address a litany of challenges at the province’s only tertiary hospital. Refilwe Mochoari and Alicestine October combed through departmental reports and speeches and spoke to several health stakeholders to assess the new plan.

Analysis: What will a new turnaround plan mean for Kimberley Hospital?

In-depth: What to do about SA’s chronic surgical delays

Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest

Based on figures from the national Department of Health over 107 000 non-emergency or elective surgeries were put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic. But challenges in addressing surgical backlogs were there before COVID-19. Alicestine October asked some local experts how surgical care can be better coordinated in South Africa.

In-depth: What to do about SA’s chronic surgical delays

Opinion: District hospitals will be key to NHI, empower them

Posted in: Latest, NHI

The successful implementation of National Health Insurance (NHI) will rely heavily on effective governance at district level. The NHI Bill correctly identifies district hospitals as key during the early transitional NHI phases. Failing to capacitate them for the challenges ahead could prove disastrous, argues Russell Rensburg and Claire Botha.

Opinion: District hospitals will be key to NHI, empower them

In-depth: Is government ready to invest in mental health?

Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest, Mental Health, NHI, Provinces

Mental health does not have its own ring-fenced budget and given huge inefficiencies in our mental health spending, we need to be strategic on where and how we spend the little we have. Alicestine October unpacks what a new government-commissioned mental health investment case framework can mean for access to equitable and quality mental health services in the country.