Black-owned hospital group, RH Bophelo, will be making a secondary listing on the Rwanda Stock Exchange on 1 June. The group, which owns nine hospitals and manages six on behalf of smaller standalone hospitals, targets lower and middle-income earners who ordinarily cannot afford medical aid, but also do not want to rely on state hospitals.
HIV experts fear an upsurge in new HIV infections after lockdown because thousands of people are defaulting on treatment.
Clinics across the country are reporting a dramatic decrease in patients collecting their medication and the diversion of staff from HIV outreach programmes to Covid-19 screening could slow down HIV-testing and treatment initiation.
“Private hospital group, Netcare, has followed several other companies and scrapped its interim dividend payment for the first time since listing on the JSE in 1996.” – Business Day (26 May 2020)
It has also withdrawn its full-year guidance, secured a waiver of its debt covenants and increased its undrawn banking facilities to R4.8-bn.
Health experts are concerned about the blood donation cycle, which has been disturbed by national lockdowns across the world. The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) blood stock levels are at 4.9 days of supply; the platelet stock is at 0.4 days of supply, and the supply of rarer blood types at O- at only (36%) of capacity.
During the current lockdown SANBS collected 40 % less than their usual donation amount.
Mediclinic, one of SA’s largest private hospital groups, told staff it expects 200 000 COVID-19 cases in medically insured patients in the Western Cape by early July, while itexpects cases in Gauteng to reach 100 000 by November.
Dis-Chem Pharmacies announced that it had deferred its dividend payment to preserve cash in order to deal with the uncertainties created bythe coronavirus pandemic.
The Western Cape health department is changing its COVID-19 testing strategy and will now prioritise high-risk groups such as healthcare workers and people in old age homes, reported Business Day (21 May 2020). This follows growing delays at the National Health Laboratory Service, which has been unable to keep up with demand.
Pressure is growing on government to release details of the models it has used to guide its response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” reported Business Day (20 May 2020).
“Cape Town accounts for 60% of COVID-19 cases in SA; 15% in sub-Saharan Africa and 10% in Africa as a whole, reported The Washington (19 May 2020).