Artificial intelligence, widely praised for its potential to revolutionise medicine, exemplifies the growing presence of AI in medicine. However, the impact of AI in medicine may have a significant and concerning side effect. It can cause doctors to lose their skills after just a few months of use, a new study has revealed. In groundbreaking research, scientists found that while…
Tag: healthcare
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Lack of Data on Foreign Healthcare Users Exposed
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has made a startling admission. Due to a lack of data, the government has no information on the number of foreign nationals using South Africa’s public health facilities. This leaves policymakers blind to the full extent of the demand on the nation’s embattled healthcare system. This lack of data exacerbates the situation. The confession comes as…
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Lower Pharmaceutical Prices: Trump’s Bold Ultimatum
President Donald Trump has dramatically escalated his campaign against high medicine costs. He issued a stark ultimatum to 17 of the world’s leading pharmaceutical firms. In a move aimed at achieving lower pharmaceutical prices, the President demanded that they slash prices for American consumers. He wants them to match what is paid in other developed nations, setting a 60-day deadline…
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African Nursing Conference Aims for Collaborative Care
Public and private sector nurses from across the SADC region are gathered in Boksburg this week for the Fifth African Nursing Conference. This conference provides a critical platform aimed at bridging divides. It also focuses on forging a united path towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the era of National Health Insurance (NHI). The African Nursing Conference is focused on…
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SA’s Cuba Doctor Programme Faces Growing Doubts
Almost 30 years since its inception, the Nelson Mandela-Fidel Castro (NMFC) medical training programme, which sends South African students to Cuba, is facing a storm of criticism over its staggering costs. Additionally, there is a lack of transparent data and questionable relevance in a country that now struggles to employ its own locally trained doctors. Once a flagship post-apartheid initiative,…
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Doctors and Nurses Exodus Threatening Patient Care
A staggering exodus of medical professionals is crippling South Africa’s public health sector. Official figures reveal that nearly 6,000 doctors and nurses are resigning from state facilities every year. This devastating brain drain is placing the nation’s healthcare system under immense pressure. As a result, hospitals are critically understaffed and vulnerable communities are left without care. Recent data presented in…
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Adcock Ingram to Delist Amidst Corporate Changes
Adcock Ingram, the pharmaceutical giant behind household brands such as Panado and Corenza-C, could delist from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). This follows a significant deal between its majority shareholder, Bidvest, and Indian drugmaker Natco Pharma. The news saw Adcock’s share price surge by 24%. Under the terms of the agreement, Indian-listed Natco Pharma will acquire a significant minority stake…
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NHI Dream and the Future of Healthcare Funding
The NHI dream of universal health coverage for all South Africans through the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme is facing a harsh economic reality. Political parties are grappling with a deadlocked 2025/26 national budget. The significant financial challenges required to implement the NHI dream have become increasingly evident. This has cast doubt on its feasibility in the current environment. Staggering…
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Racial Bias Report: Are the Claims Valid?
A fuse has been lit in South Africa’s private healthcare industry following the release of a controversial racial bias report. It claims black healthcare providers are disproportionately targeted in fraud investigations. The Section 59 report, submitted to Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, alleges systemic racial discrimination by medical schemes. However, leading industry bodies have hit back, labelling the racial bias…
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Medico-Legal Claims Impacting Public Health Budgets
South Africa’s public healthcare system is under severe financial strain. The total value of medico-legal claims against the state has skyrocketed to an astonishing R77 billion as of March 2024. Provincial health departments, particularly in the Eastern Cape and Gauteng, are battling thousands of lawsuits. These lawsuits divert critical funds away from essential patient services. In a written reply to…
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Gems Denies Racial Profiling in Investigations
The Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) has told Parliament that it does not target black doctors based on their ethnicity during fraud investigations. In response to the allegations, Gems denies engaging in racial profiling against any of its practitioners. The assurance comes in the wake of a damning industry report. This report concluded that its systems were “procedurally unfair” and…