South Africa’s public mental health system is back in the spotlight after the Health Ombud released findings into the George Mukhari Hospital death of 35-year-old Lerato Mohlamme, a psychiatric patient. She died from burn injuries after a fire at Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital (DGMAH) in June 2024. The report paints a picture of routine cruelty and dangerous neglect. It…
Tag: clinical governance
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Deepfake X-Ray Images Expose New Clinical Risk
AI-generated “deepfake” radiographs are now realistic enough to mislead clinicians and some of the very AI tools designed to support imaging workflows. That is the warning from a new study in Radiology, published on 24 March 2026, which tested how well radiologists could spot synthetic X-rays mixed into a clinical-style reading exercise. Researchers asked 17 radiologists from 12 hospitals across…
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Medical Aid Forensic Audits: UP Study Flags Physiotherapist Harm
Physiotherapists say medical aid forensic audits are leaving them “fearful, stigmatised and traumatised”, according to new research from the University of Pretoria (UP). The study suggests that processes meant to protect patients’ money may be causing serious harm to practitioners and destabilising private practices. Lesley Meyer, an extraordinary lecturer in UP’s department of physiotherapy, led a study recently published in…
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Government pushes for more family physicians in key roles
The Department of Health has announced plans to increase the number of family physicians serving as clinical managers in district hospitals. This move follows years of lobbying by the South African Academy of Family Physicians (SAAFP) for greater recognition of the role of family physicians in the country’s public health system. The push to appoint family physicians, described as “super…