News

Gauteng Health can appeal cancer treatment backlog judgment

08 May 2025
Gauteng Health welcomed the Johannesburg High Court’s decision to grant the Department leave to appeal a judgment and order delivered in March. – BusinessLive (8 May 2025) This follows the Department’s application for leave to appeal in April 2025. “The initial March judgment declared the Department’s failure to address a backlog of more than 3,000 cancer patients, some of whom have been waiting up to three years for treatment, as both unlawful and unconstitutional.” The Court ordered officials to take all necessary steps to provide radiation and oncology services to the backlog patients. The Department was ordered to file an updated report within three months.
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KZN health department faces protests over R1.7bon supplier debt

08 May 2025
Scores of service providers protested against the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health, demanding payment for an estimated R1.7bn in outstanding invoices. – BusinessLive (8 May 2025) “Businesses claim the provincial department, reportedly facing medicine shortages as well, has failed to pay them for services rendered, with some waiting over a year for critical funds. Published by Health Matters: trevor@health-matters.io Small and medium-sized enterprises According to the Department, R1.33bn of the total outstanding amount is overdue between 60 and 90 days; and 1,519 invoices totalling R71m have been outstanding for more than 90 days.
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Counterfeit medicines flood South Africa,

08 May 2025
According to a recent report “South Africa's Fight Against Illicit Trade: A Strategic Review (2025) the SA pharmaceutical market, valued at approximately R62bn in 2024, is increasingly vulnerable to infiltration by counterfeit and substandard products.
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Dire situation at Charlotte Maxeke and Chris Hani Hositals

08 May 2025
An anonymous health professional highlighted the dire situation at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital in Johannesburg, stating that patients have gone hungry, and some cannot take necessary medication on an empty stomach. – Daily Maverick (8 May 2025).
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Trump drug pricing plan could cost industry £800bn

07 May 2025
Bloomberg reported on 7 May that the pharmaceutical industry is mounting a fierce campaign against a new drug pricing proposal from President Donald Trump's administration. The plan, proposed as a potential method to help fund the president's tax cut agenda, could slash drug company revenues by as much as $1 trillion (£800bn) over the next decade.
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Medical Research Council secures R400m in donor pledges

07 May 2025
The SA Medical Research Council (MRC) has secured financial commitments totalling R400m from international donor organisations, reported BusinessLive (6 May 2025). “This funding addresses a critical gap resulting from significant cuts to scientific research support from the US government during the Trump administration. However, the SA government must match the contributions rand-for-rand to access these funds.
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High Court confirms jurisdiction in NHI Act legal battle

07 May 2025
The private health care sector has scored a first victory in its legal battle against the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act. – EWN (6 May 2025) In his ruling on 6 May Judge Mpostoli Twala confirmed that the North Gauteng High Court has the necessary jurisdiction to hear the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) and SA Private Practitioners Forum (SAPPF)’s case against President Cyril Ramaphosa and Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi. - Business Day (7 May 2025)
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High Court rules in favour of SAPPF and BHF in its case against NHI Act

06 May 2025
On 6 May the Gauteng High Court ruled in favour of the BHF and SAPPF in its case against Pres Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister of Health. On 4 May SAPPF and the BHF requested the Court to review and set aside Pres Ramaphosa’s decision to sign the NHI Act into law.
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Project launched to tackle mental health treatment

05 May 2025
According to the SA Depression and Anxiety Group 90% of uninsured South Africans in need of mental health services cannot access appropriate care due to a chronic shortage of mental health professionals, the misallocation of already scarce resources and a lack of funds that disproportionately favours hospital-based treatment over crucial community-based prevention and care. – Business Times (4 May 2025)
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Medical schemes are key to unlocking a fairer future and universal coverage

05 May 2025
While Government has made notable strides in building a more equitable public system since the introduction of the Medical Schemes Act in 1998, the gap between the public and private sectors remains stark, with only around 16% of South Africans accessing private medical schemes, wrote Andrew Schuwltz, CEO of Medscheme, in Business Day (5 May 2025).
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Healthcare partnerships under threat amidst reform

05 May 2025
“While the NHI's goals—equitable access, universal coverage, and improved efficiency—are noble, the Act in its current form risks displacing the private healthcare sector almost entirely,” wrote Katlego Mothudi, MD of the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF), Business Times (4 May 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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