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

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.

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OPINION: Mid-term budget fails to show the way to a more resilient recovery

Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest

The Medium-term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) was tabled amid a grim global economic outlook and a climate of increasing political uncertainty, electricity supply challenges, and very high unemployment. Russell Rensburg argues the MTBPS fails to provide a credible path toward a resilient recovery and sets out what can be done to strengthen governance and build social solidarity around the recovery we need.

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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.

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Differing views on Gauteng’s new health information system

Posted in: Gauteng, Healthcare system, Latest, Provinces

In January, the computer system at the George Mukhari Hospital broke down with serious implications for patient care. In an effort to improve service delivery and the quality of healthcare services, the Gauteng Department of Health in 2020, announced that it would be upgrading its information technology system. Thabo Molelekwa looked at the progress of the new system in light of the ongoing challenges at the George Mukhari Hospital.

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COVID-19 blamed for shortcomings of ‘ideal clinics’ in Free State  

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

There are 83 clinics – down from 153 in 2018/19 – in the Free State with Ideal Clinic status, meaning they have adequate staff, infrastructure, and medicines, among others. For many primary health facilities, this accreditation status is crucial for the National Health Insurance, however, some of these ideal clinics still have various shortcomings. Refilwe Mochoari reports.  

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Report finds some improvement at Mpumalanga clinics, but serious challenges remain

Posted in: Access to Medicines, Healthcare system, Healthcare Workers, HIV/AIDS, Latest, Mpumalanga, Provinces

The community-led clinic monitoring project, Ritshidze last week, released its follow-up report on the state of (primary) healthcare in Mpumalanga. There were some improvements, but patients are still waiting over four hours to be seen at some clinics. Nthusang Lefafa unpacks some of the report’s findings and asked the health department about its plans to address these shortcomings.

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NORTH WEST HEALTH: The hits and misses of the section 100 intervention

Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest, Provinces

The North West Health Department was placed under administration in 2018 following several governance failures and allegations of fraud and corruption that resulted in widespread service delivery protests. Now, almost four years later as the period under administration is set to come to an end, Nthusang Lefafa asks what has improved under administration and what has not.

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ANALYSIS: NHI Bill – clause-by-clause headbutting begins in Parliament

Posted in: Healthcare system, Latest, NHI, Sections

In what is expected to become a verbal minefield littered with the usual ideological quips, the members of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Health this week started the clause-by-clause deliberations on the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill. Alicestine October assesses the first leg of the deliberations and issues set to pop up in the next round of deliberations, starting with clause 5 of the Bill next week.

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