Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian
public health systemlatest news & developments
Unjani clinics were originally converted and equipped shipping containers provided by a large company as part of their Corporate Social Investment (CSI), but the model has grown to include over two hundred points of service scattered throughout the country.

How private initiatives are transforming South Africa’s health care landscape

The outdated statistic quoted by commentators is that 16% of the population are covered by medical schemes, and therefore 84% are dependent on the state

Keep it safe: Police enforce social distancing between people outside a supermarket in Yeoville, Johannesburg. (Marco Longari/AFP)

Can democracy be distance friendly?

Parliament and parliamentarians need to adjust their working procedures to ensure they are there for citizens during this crisis

Parliament does not have robust enough rules governing member behaviour. (David Harrison/M&G)

Covid-19 has long-term implications for politics and policymaking

We need to work together regardless of our political ideologies to build the health system, stabilise the economy and protect the most vulnerable in society

(John McCann/M&G)

Richard Calland: Covid-19 can have positive outcomes

Democracy and social welfare may get a boost and blind capitalism may see that it’s unsustainable

Supervisor Brighten Mashau pushes an ultraviolet (UV) pulse lights disinfecting robot at the Netcare Sunninghill Hospital in Johannesburg.,  (Michele Spatari / AFP)

Eusebius McKaiser: Certain views about Covid-19’s global trajectory are anti-poor and anti-human

This is no time to snigger at the high rates of coronavirus in the Global North. We could be just as hard hit — and it is poor people who will suffer the most

Covid-19 could claim up to 40 000 lives in South Africa, according to experts. (Fabrizio Villa /Getty Images).

The M&G’s projection on Covid-19 infections on Monday 16 March

At this rate of infection, with 5% of all cases needing intensive care, the country won’t have enough emergency hospital beds by the end of this month

We have no blueprint for how to create an African NHI that addresses the injustices of the past. But this also gives us an incredible opportunity to lead. (Paul Botes/M&G)

The NHI could provide a dose of social justice for South Africa

But to do so, it will have to provide genuine universal access to marginalised communities, including refugees and migrants

Hands on: South Africans have been told to prioritise hygiene, such as using soap and sanitisers (above) to wash their hands. There is concern, however, about infections spreading in densely populated, impoverished areas where access to water is limited and healthcare facilities are already strained. (Guillem Sartorio/AFP)

665 to 12-million infected: The possible SA coronavirus numbers

If nothing changes and infections continue to increase at the current rate, South African healthcare facilities could be further overwhelmed

Torchbearers: Demonstrators in Argentina earlier this year. The country has been gripped by an economic crisis and has imposed capital controls to mitigate declines in its currency. (Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP)

The ills of financial globalisation

The influx of foreign capital into emerging markets can create a boom-bust cycle

People in South Africa do not need to travel to Europe to have a dignified death, but more needs to be done to make that possible in hospitals, in hospices and at home. (Getty Images)

Why I do not support active euthanasia

In a country where spirituality and faith play such an important role, the rational argument will not convince

From Johannesburg to Mahikeng

Burning tyres and dodgy ambulance deals? Six health scandals you might have missed

It’s been a bumper year for trouble for the country’s healthcare system and it’s only June. Here’s everything you might have missed.

End of the road: Ntombizodwa Matthews was wheeled put of Mafikeng Provincial Hospital in April because the facility had no staff to care for her. A month later she was buried.

Who killed Ntombizodwa Matthews? Politics, protest & corruption in the North West

A month after she was wheeled out of a North West hospital in a barrow, Ntombizodwa Matthews met her end. Her family blames politics for her death.

One person has died as a result of injuries sustained when a temporary scaffolding collapsed at a concert at the Cape Town Stadium due to high winds.

Why emergency care in Africa needs to become a specialised course

Countries in Africa are in desperate need of more emergency care specialists and increased training.

Mpumalanga’s health is failing – but it won’t take its medicine

Poor management and leadership instability lead to R2-billion in irregular expenditure.

The unlawful state of healthcare

The state has a legal obligation to ensure finances are available to provide a skilled healthcare workforce, writes Mark Heywood.

The helpless have lost a lifeline

GF Jooste Hospital was a beacon of hope. It should have been renovated, not closed.

Last week marked the start of the annual United Nations campaign for 16 days of activism for no violence against women and children but token actions by politicians will do nothing to resolve the crisis.

Comment: 16 Days of What?

Token actions by politicians won’t change violence against women, writes Indira Govender.

Motsoaledi: Why I use government hospitals

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has promised to get state facilities running to the highest standards.

Charlene Sunkel knows first-hand the stigmas about mental health in society. Sharing her story

Mental health: Access and stigma

Charlene Sunkel knows first-hand the stigmas about mental health in society. Sharing her story, she talks of her experience accessing public healthcare.

Free State ARV fiasco

The chaos in the Free State Meditech software monitoring system has serious implications for the province’s already crisis-ridden response to HIV.