News
Unions demand lower premium increase from GEMS
06 Aug 2025
GEMS, SA’s largest medical scheme for public servants, is facing increased pressure from unions,including the Public Servants Association (PSA) and the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu), after a 13.4% hike in its premiums this year. – Business Day (5 August 2025)
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Gauteng Health lashes out at vaccine misinformation on social media
06 Aug 2025
Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko warned parents against dangerous vaccine misinformation circulating on social media, reported TimesLIVE (6 August 2025).
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Cipla Medpro faces claims over side effects of antibiotic
06 Aug 2025
“Cipla Medpro is facing accusations that it failed to adequately warn patients about the potentially severe side effects of a common antibiotic, Tavaloxx, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. after a Johannesburg man suffered four life-altering tendon ruptures. – BusinessLIVE (5 August 2025)
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SA healthcare at a critical crossroad
04 Aug 2025
“Amidst a backdrop of global turmoil and domestic uncertainty, SA stands at a critical crossroad, with its healthcare system facing a crisis that demands immediate and decisive action, wrote Dumani Kula (CEO of the Busamed private hospital group) in BusinessTimes (3 August 2025).
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Who really pays for NHI?
04 Aug 2025
Contrary to popular belief, it is not the wealthy elite who will be hardest hit by NHI, but South Africa’s working class, warned Thoneshan Naidoo CEO of the Health Funders Association (HFA). – The Citizen (2025 July 2025)
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Court ruling clarifies doctor-patient relationship
01 Aug 2025
A recent High Court judgment (Welkovics v HPCSA) has reaffirmed the principle that doctors in private practice are under no legal obligation to accept every patient seeking care, reported MedicalBrief (30 July 2025).
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Trump increase price pressure on world’s leading pharmaceutical companies
01 Aug 2025
Bloomberg reported on 31 July that President Donald Trump has issued an ultimatum to 17 of the world's leading pharmaceutical firms demanding that they slash prices for American consumers to match what is paid in other developed nations, setting a 60-day deadline for voluntary compliance. The move targets industry titans including Pfizer Inc, Eli Lilly & Co, and Novo Nordisk A/S.
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Paul Mashatile’s sons scoops R49m Gauteng Hospital tender
01 Aug 2025
Two companies with links to Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s sons were paid R36.4m – and are owed a further R12.6m – for a Gauteng Government contract servicing fire alarms and sprinkler systems at public hospitals, reports News24.
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Forensic report exposes extent of state hospital oxygen tender fraud
01 Aug 2025
“The breathtaking scale of the fraud involved in a mega-million-rand project to install oxygen generation plant at dozens of government hospitals has been revealed by Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson,” reported Daily Maverick.
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Northern Cape Hospital in a ‘state of near-total collapse’
31 Jul 2025
Health Ombud Professor Taole Mokoena released a damning report of a Northern Cape Mental Health Hospital following a complaint from Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi in October 2024.
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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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