In a bold move to ensure public representatives experience the same healthcare realities as the citizens they serve, ActionSA MP Kgosi Letlape has announced plans to introduce the Parliamentary and Provincial Medical Aid Scheme Amendment Bill. This proposed legislation aims to abolish compulsory membership of the Parliamentary Medical Aid Scheme (Parmed) for Members of Parliament (MPs), Members of Provincial Legislatures,…
Tag: healthcare
-
Aspen Unlocking Value with New Manufacturing Strategies
Aspen Pharmacare’s CEO, Stephen Saad, has declared that all hands are on deck to overhaul the group’s manufacturing business. He identified the performance of its sterile unit as a significant drag on earnings. This underperformance has caused the market to undervalue the company. This move is part of Aspen’s effort to unlock value for its stakeholders and enhance its market…
-
Reversing Medical Tourism in Africa: The Abuja Initiative
Once a prime destination for global elites seeking top-tier medical care in the 1960s, Nigeria’s healthcare landscape has undergone a dramatic shift. Today, the nation faces a staggering financial outflow as its citizens, and other Africans, spend billions abroad for treatment. A landmark new facility in Abuja, however, signals a bold ambition for reversing medical tourism in Africa. This aims…
-
Constitutional Court challenge to NHI Act by BHF
The legal storm surrounding the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act has intensified. The Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF) launches a direct challenge in the Constitutional Court. They are targeting the very process Parliament followed in passing the controversial legislation. This is part of the broader Constitutional Court challenge to the NHI Act. This new legal assault extends beyond the content…
-
Adcock Ingram Reports Flat Profit Despite Winter Surge
Pharmaceutical giant Adcock Ingram has announced flat annual profits despite a significant recovery in the second half of its financial year. This was buoyed by strong demand for its popular over-the-counter winter medicines. In a landmark move, the maker of household staples like Panado and Corenza-C is also set to delist from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). This follows a…
-
Novo Nordisk Hiring Freeze After Wegovy Sales Decline
Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, which rode a wave of unprecedented success with its weight-loss drug Wegovy, has announced a global hiring freeze for non-critical roles. This signals a dramatic shift from rapid expansion to rigorous cost-cutting. Sales begin to slow and competition intensifies. Novo Nordisk’s hiring freeze is a significant turn for the company. The Wegovy Hiring Spree The…
-
Court Orders Cancer Treatment to End Backlog
The Gauteng High Court has ordered the provincial Department of Health to immediately tackle the severe oncology backlog, ruling that their appeal cannot delay life-saving treatment for cancer patients. The Gauteng High Court delivered a crucial judgment yesterday, ordering the provincial department of health (GDoH) to enforce a plan to clear its cancer treatment backlog immediately. The court ruled that…
-
Unregulated Glucose Monitors Pose Risk to Diabetics
While continuous glucose monitors are increasingly popular as wellness gadgets for tracking lifestyle and diet, their lack of formal regulatory oversight means many devices may not be safe or reliable for medical use. The rise of unregulated glucose monitors makes the matter more complicated. Medical specialists and patient advocates are raising urgent concerns over the booming and unregulated market for…
-
Zimbabwe Health Bill Aims for Universal Coverage
In a significant move towards universal healthcare, Zimbabwe’s Parliament is considering a new bill aimed at providing medical services for all citizens. It also seeks to regulate the entire health sector, including private hospitals. Questions remain over how the government will finance the ambitious system proposed in the Medical Services Amendment Bill. Following a path similar to South Africa’s National…
-
Billions Lost to Fraud and Waste Cripple SA’s Private Healthcare
South Africa’s private healthcare sector is haemorrhaging up to R28 billion a year due to rampant fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA). This directly threatens the quality of care and financial stability of medical cover for millions of citizens. The stark warning comes from the Health Funders Association (HFA), which estimates the losses represent a staggering 15% to 20% of all…
-
Regulatory Delays Threaten Africa’s Pharmaceutical Ambition
Critical delays in aligning Africa’s pharmaceutical regulations with World Health Organisation (WHO) standards are jeopardising the continent’s R1.25-trillion ($70bn) goal. They aim to become a self-sufficient pharmaceuticals manufacturing hub, according to a top industry executive. Stavros Nicolaou, a senior executive at Aspen Pharmacare and chair of Pharmaceuticals Made in South Africa (Pharmisa), warned that this regulatory bottleneck is preventing African…