An estimated 290 000 South Africans could become blind due to untreated cataracts, according to statistics released by the project Right to Sight. The aim of the project is to enable cataract sufferers from low-income households, as well as those who have been on a public hospital waiting list for over a year, to access sponsored cataract surgery.
During the resumed inquiry (chaired by advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi) into allegations by African and Indian medical practioners that medical schemes treated them unfairly, a picture was painted ot "schemes turning a blind eye to allegations that their contracted claims administrators racially profiled and abused black doctors when it was time to pay them.," reported The Star (28 January 2020)
Claims for medical negligence against the state have more than tripled over the past four years, rising to a staggering R104.5-bn.
“While only a fraction of these claims is likely to be upheld, provincial health departments have nevertheless faced a four-fold increase in pay-outs to victims of medical negligence over the same Period,” reported Business Day (27 January 2020).
Clicks will prioritise its own branded products in a bid to provide better value to cash strapped consumers, reported Business Day (24 January 2020). A third of Clicks’ products, excluding dispensed medicines, are from its own labels. The company released its trading update for the 20 weeks to January 12, showing retail sales grew 7.9% and total group sales were up 9.9% to R12.9-bn.
Government has been urged to work more closely with private healthcare providers in rolling out its proposed National Health Insurance (NHI). This follows the Health Systems Trust’s publishing of a review in the annual SA Health Review (SAHR).
Provincial treasuries are cautiously awaiting Finance Minister Tito Mboweni’s budget speech in Parliament on February 26. In October Mboweni announced that transfers to provinces and municipalities would be cut by a combined R40.8-bn over the three-year medium-term expenditure framework.
City Press reported on January 27 that the CMS appears to be having second thoughts about its announcement that certain low-cost medical aid products will be illegal in just over a year. At a meeting with insurers, medical aids and other role players, it said it would continue to develop a framework for a low-cost benefit option, or something of a similar nature.
A Key emergency committee of the WHO will gather in Geneva today (22 January 2020) to discuss a new SARS-like virus spreading across China after it reached three other Asian countries.
In its January 22 issue News 24 published a list of “What we know about the virus”