Medscheme has withdrawn its legal application against Bonitas Medical Fund. The decision clears the way for the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) to continue a forensic investigation into disputed procurement processes. The legal action concerned contracts for medical scheme administration, managed care, marketing and sales distribution. Medscheme claimed to have evidence of significant irregularities in tender processes involving Bonitas’s BonCap…
Category: Archive
Every Health Matters article, newest first. Use the search or browse by month to find older reporting.
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Illicit Medicines In South Africa Spark Sahpra Crackdown
The availability of illicit medicines in South Africa is increasing, according to the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority. Sahpra regulates medicines and medical devices in the country. It said reports from consumers and seizures by inspectors suggest the problem is widespread. Criminal syndicates are targeting widely used or in-demand medicines. These include weight-loss drugs, antibiotics, painkillers and medicines used…
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Sun Pharma’s Generic Semaglutide Gets SA Approval
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries has received regulatory approval to manufacture and sell a generic semaglutide injection in South Africa. The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority, or SAHPRA, approved the medicine for adults with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes. Semaglutide is the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s diabetes medicine Ozempic. It is also used in the company’s Wegovy weight-loss treatment. The…
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Mogalakwena Hospital Court Case Challenges Inspection Refusal
Mogalakwena Health has launched urgent proceedings in the High Court. This follows after a newly built R165 million private hospital in Mokopane was prevented from opening. The company has cited Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, acting National Health Department director-general Nicholas Crisp and Limpopo health authorities as respondents. Its application was filed in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria. Mogalakwena Health…
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Sleep Debt And Road Safety: Crash Risk Rises
Poor and inconsistent sleep may be one of the biggest hidden threats to road safety. New research from Discovery Insure suggests that sleep debt is a stronger predictor of crash risk than many traditional insurance factors when these are considered separately. The insurer analysed four years of sleep, driving and accident data from more than 10,000 South African drivers. It…
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Gauteng’s Foreign Doctor Salary Bill Sparks Jobs Row
The Gauteng department of health has budgeted more than R612 million to compensate foreign medical professionals during the 2026/27 financial year. The disclosure has triggered criticism as hundreds of qualified South African doctors remain unemployed. Gauteng Health and Wellness MEC Faith Mazibuko revealed the figures in a written response to ActionSA’s questions. According to the response, the department has 551…
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AI-Guided Heart Procedures Could Ease Backlogs
An artificial intelligence system used during heart procedures in the Netherlands could help hospitals shorten operating times and treat more patients. Philips DeviceGuide combines AI with advanced three-dimensional imaging. It supports doctors performing complex, minimally invasive heart procedures. The technology was demonstrated at St Antonius Hospital in Nieuwegein. The Dutch teaching hospital used the system during a transcatheter edge-to-edge repair…
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Telehealth GLP-1 Prescribing Sparks Safety Fears
A Yale University study has identified serious weaknesses in how some telehealth providers prescribe GLP-1 weight-loss medications. The secret shopper study examined 49 online healthcare providers. Researchers used a fictional patient who met the clinical criteria for GLP-1 treatment. The findings suggest that several virtual clinics may be prioritising fast access to prescriptions over detailed medical care. This could expose…
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Aspen Chair Transition: Ben Kruger To Succeed Dlamini
Aspen Pharmacare chair Kuseni Dlamini will step down from the pharmaceutical group’s board in December 2026. Veteran director and former banking executive Ben Kruger will succeed him as chair. Aspen said Dlamini would not make himself available for re-election as a director. The company’s annual general meeting is scheduled for December. His departure will conclude a 14-year tenure on the…