The proportion of South Africans consuming marijuana, cocaine and heroin has increased substantially since the early 2000s, research shows. Jesse Copelyn breaks down the reasons for these trends and potential solutions to the problem.
As COVID-19 cases increase things are looking a little different from normal at the Melusi container clinic in Tshwane. Elna Schütz reports.
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.
MPs were caught up in a foxtrot of hypotheticals and assurances over COVID-19 with Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize and senior officials in Parliament today. Mkhize and his department briefed MPs in the Portfolio Committee on Health on COVID-19 ahead of a debate on South Africa’s readiness for an outbreak in the National Assembly tomorrow.
While the word midwife often conjures up images of old-fashioned births, the profession is still a vital part of modern health care. Spotlight spoke to some midwives and those involved in training about what it takes to be a midwife.
President Cyril Ramaphosa will today deliver his third state of the nation (SONA) address. Here is a few reminders and requests for his SONA.
The Northern Cape is both South Africa’s largest and most sparsely populated province. Biénne Huisman sat down with Health MEC Mase Manopole to discuss healthcare in this often-forgotten part of the country.
The Western Cape Department of Health will get a new Head of Department, Dr Keith Cloete by April, but it seems there will be no radical changes to the strategic direction and work of this department.
Between President Cyril Ramaphosa’s ongoing new dawn and important healthcare reforms, 2020 will be a critically important year for healthcare in South Africa. Spotlight formulated eight questions to set out what is at stake.
Siviwe Gwarube is not only one of the Democratic Alliance’s upcoming stars, she is also one of the key people on parliament’s health committee who will soon consider the NHI Bill. Biénne Huisman went to meet her.
Information recently presented in parliament sheds light on how many clinic health committees there are in each province and how many members these committees have.
Government’s National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill is not the only roadmap to quality healthcare for all in South Africa. The Health Market Inquiry into the private healthcare sector report points the way toward an alternative, possibly more effective, approach.
