News

R11bn NHLS debt raises alarm over public health services

15 Jun 2026
Business Day reported on 14 June that the outstanding debt of the National Health Laboratory Service laboratory (NHLS) had reached about R11bn in March 2026. Gauteng reportedly owed about R3.3bn and KwaZulu-Natal about R3.94bn, including debt from previous years.
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RAF: a ‘chamber of horrors’

12 Jun 2026
“The Road Accident Fund (RAF) is beset by well-documented corruption and maladministration: a chamber of horrors; around every turn there is another terrifying pop-up.” reported Times Live in January
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AI prompts drive higher screening among Discovery members

11 Jun 2026
Discovery Health Medical Scheme members who have opted into an AI-driven health guidance programme are significantly more likely to complete routine health checks and cancer screenings than members who have not enrolled, according to preliminary findings from Discovery Health. – Business Day (11 June 2026)
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Johann Rupert’s oldest company to take control of Mediclinic

11 Jun 2026
The Competition Tribunal has approved Remgro’s acquisition of Mediclinic International, giving the investment giant sole ownership over the Intercare group of companies and ER24 EMS.
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Bonitas, Medscheme feud continues

11 Jun 2026
A legal dispute between Medscheme and Bonitas Medical Scheme has intensified scrutiny of four major tenders that shifted key operational functions at Bonitas, including administration, managed care and marketing contracts awarded to Private Health Administrators (PHA), Agile Alternative Business Solutions and Momentum Health Solutions.
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Removal of medical tax credits on the cards

17 Oct 2025
“With significant legal and logistical uncertainty still surrounding the NHI's implementation, making precipitous changes to the tax system could have unforeseen and damaging consequences for millions of South Africans.” - Business Day(17 October 2025)
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Pharma faces billions in costs due to new tariffs

29 Jul 2025
“The pharmaceutical industry is bracing for a significant financial blow, with analysts forecasting costs of between $13bn and $19bn following the revelation that a new transatlantic trade deal will subject branded medicines to a hefty 15% tariff.” – Reuters (28 July 2025)
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Life Healthcare backs collaboration to tackle healthcare crisis

27 Nov 2024
Life Healthcare CEO Peter Wharton-Hood has backed a call for greater collaboration between the government and private healthcare providers to address South Africa’s pressing healthcare challenges. This follows a proposal by Netcare CEO Richard Friedland, who suggested adding healthcare as the fourth pillar in an existing government-business partnership focused on revitalising the economy.
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Discovery Life claims back to pre-Covid levels

19 Apr 2024
“Discovery Life distributed R10.3bn to its clients, a decrease from the R11bn paid the previous year,” reported Business Day (19April 2024)
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Hundreds of websites found selling fake weight-loss drugs

16 Apr 2024
Reuters reported on 15 April that the cybersecurity company BrandShield has shut down over 250 websites selling counterfeit versions of popular drugs used for weight loss and diabetes treatment within the GLP-1 class.
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RAF bid to appeal judgment on claim requirements

06 Dec 2023
On 5 December 2023 the Pretoria High Court rejected the Road Accident Fund’s (RAF) request to reconsider a previous verdict from November, reported Business Day. “The ruling mandated eliminating the stringent new requirements for filing claims outlined in a 2021 board notice.”
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Covid-19 vaccines: ‘Health Department squandered the opportunity’

07 Sep 2023
“Health activists are right to draw attention to this grossly unfair situation. (Covid-19 vaccine deals) But the far bigger scandal is that the Health Department squandered the opportunity after spending an estimated R14-bn on Covid-19 jabs and belatedly filling its warehouses with enough doses to vaccinate the nation” – Business Day (7 September 2023).
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EDITORIAL: Health Minister must halt care crisis

20 Jan 2023

NHI, the government’s plan for universal health coverage, rests heavily on nurse-led care. Yet where these nurses will come from is a mystery. – Editorial (Business Day 20 January 2023).
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Study raises concerns about quality of hospital meals

12 Jan 2023

According to a study of meals served at Cape Town hospitals the food served to hospital patients are way below the health department “ration scale” and patients’ energy requirements, reportedFinancial Mail (12 January 2023).
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Health Minister’s comment provides ‘some comfort to medical scheme industry’

15 Jun 2022

Health Minister Joe Phaahla’s comment that NHI will be implemented step-by-step - gradually phasing out the role of medical schemes in the private sector - should provide some comfort to these private healthcare services, according to Business Day (15 June 2022)

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