Health Department Changes Tack to Woo Private Sector Doctors
The health department is looking for new ways to entice private-sector general practitioners (GPs) to provide their services under the National Health Insurance (NHI), after a lacklustre response to its attempts to get them to work in state facilities. Only 250 private-sector GPs were contracting with the state at the end of March, according to […]
Health Minister Motsoaledi Defends Underspending on Health Insurance
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi on Thursday defended the slow spending in National Health Insurance (NHI) programmes overseen by his department, saying he had anticipated that the money would be needed for other purposes. Treasury documents show that only 10.4% of the NHI indirect grant allocated for the 2018/2019 fiscal year had been spent by the […]
Breast Health Education Portal Launched for Nurses

The Breast Health Foundation (BHF), in partnership with Discovery Health and Phakamisa, an AstraZeneca initiative, has launched an online development, training and education platform for nurses and healthcare practitioners (HCPs). The platform will help nurses and HCPs update their knowledge and skills as part of their continuing professional development (CPD) responsibility. Through the portal, they can access training materials, educational and legislation-based […]
Surgical Students Battle with Dexterity, Thanks to Screens

A surgery professor is worried that students are losing their ability to perform the simple manual tasks needed to stitch and sew up patients, thanks to the proliferation of digital devices. Read the full story here.
State Medical Scheme GEMS Urges Caution on Merger Plans

The principal officer of the Government Employees Medical Scheme (Gems) has warned about the state’s plans to merge it with other schemes for public servants, saying consolidation will require careful planning and consultation with unions. Read the full story here.
Honouring SA Doctors with National Doctors’ Day

In recognition of the critical role that South African doctors play in the healthy functioning of South African society, 16 November has been declared National Doctors’ Day. Read the full story here.