[ad_1] At a clinic in the north of Pretoria, a pregnant woman tried to register as a patient in the facility’s antenatal care using a South African identity document (ID) with a photo that didn’t match her face. It further emerged that the woman had recently been turned away from another clinic due to inappropriate documentation. The clinic matron called the police to resolve the dispute and to assess the authenticity of the ID. But prior to that, the woman received care. “The staff ensured that the patient’s vitals were taken, before handing her over to SAPS, which resonates with…
Author: Njih Favour
[ad_1] This project is funded by: Residents of Hluvukani are accusing the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality of failing to provide basic waste management services. Large metal refuse bins placed at various locations in the community are overflowing, and waste goes uncollected for extended periods. Several community members say a lack of awareness campaigns have left the areas exposed to environmental and health hazards. Hophney Mdluli stays close to one of the communal bins. He tells Health-e News that the rubbish site near his home has become a serious concern. He describes unbearable fumes coming from the bin. “Although municipal trucks sometimes…
[ad_1] Under South African law, no one may practise medicine unless they have the proper training and are officially registered. (Photo: Unsplash) News & Features 9th February 2026 | Elna Schütz Bogus medical practitioners threaten the health of patients and undermine trust in doctors. The problem might be growing, but so is the fight against it. “If you’re in the hands of an unqualified person, you’re as well as dead, and we think it is not fair for the country,” Dr Magome Masike tells Spotlight. He is the Registrar of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), which is…
[ad_1] South Africa has moved a step closer to an HIV vaccine with the launch of the BRILLIANT 011 clinical trial at the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF) site at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town. The first participant has already been enrolled. The trial forms part of the BRILLIANT Consortium, an African-led research initiative working to develop an HIV vaccine designed for strains circulating in Southern Africa. We spoke to Dr Sheetal Kassim, a clinical researcher at the DTHF and principal investigator, about what this milestone means, how the vaccine works, and why vaccine research led by Africans remains…
[ad_1] In the onion fields at Dutoit Agri’s Kromfontein farm, Annah Khontsiwe chats with farmworkers after educating them about the risks of heat stress. (Photo: Sue Segar/Spotlight) News & Features 6th February 2026 | Sue Segar The health department in the Western Cape is partnering with farms in the Cape Winelands to provide easier access to healthcare for farm workers. Spotlight unpacks one such partnership and why it is a triple win for workers, businesses and the government. It’s a sweltering January afternoon on the Kromfontein farm in the Koue Bokkeveld, north of Ceres in the Western Cape. At least…
[ad_1] Elderly residents at Ekhanana Old Age Home in Durban’s Umlazi township are facing a growing health and safety crisis after the facility was left without electricity and continues to battle severe shortages of medication, medical support and transport. The non-profit facility has reportedly been without electricity since 3 January 2026 after eThekwini Municipality disconnected the power supply due to an outstanding municipal debt of about R2.7 million. Facility manager Jabulani Kunene says the disconnection happened despite his attempts to engage the municipality and negotiate a “realistic payment arrangement for a facility that relies on limited financial resources while caring…
[ad_1] Generic semaglutide is expected to become widely available this year, leading to better supply and lower prices. (Photo: Shutterstock) News & Features 4th February 2026 | Catherine Tomlinson Sales of weight loss medicines like Ozempic and Mounjaro have sky-rocketed in South Africa in recent years, although they remain too expensive for most people who might benefit from the jabs. In the first article of this special series, Spotlight tracks their remarkable rise and assesses when they will become more widely available here. A class of weight-loss and diabetes medicines called glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s for short) have made…
[ad_1] Dozens of health facilities across Limpopo were damaged by the flooding triggered by persistent heavy rains, which started in December 2025, leaving some partially inaccessible while others operate under strain. At Tswinga Clinic outside Thohoyandou, the perimeter fence collapsed, exposing the clinic to potential criminal activity and disrupting healthcare services. A nurse at the clinic, who spoke to Health-e News on condition of anonymity, says that without a fence, they are in a vulnerable position. “Clinics are often targeted. We don’t want a repeat of incidents like the Chuene Clinic in January 2025, where nurses were kidnapped, robbed and…
[ad_1] Residents of Mahlathi, a village outside Giyani, say they have been forced to use contaminated water for daily needs because of the recent floods in the area. Thandi Mathebula and her family of seven rely on water they collect from a tap at the nearby church. But last week the water was unusable. “The water tasted salty, and when it came out, [of the tap] it looked like cow urine with soap in it,” she tells Health-e News. Mathebula says that after she had drunk some of the water, she immediately started experiencing flu-like symptoms, causing her to cough…
[ad_1] Weeks after heavy floods tore through parts of the Vhembe District, the scars remain visible in Dopeni village, where residents are still struggling to regain access to healthcare, education and basic services after a vital bridge was washed away. The bridge, which connects Dopeni to neighbouring Siloam village where Siloam Hospital and Rumani Clinic are located, collapsed during severe flooding in early January 2026, leaving the community isolated. Dopeni has no clinic or hospital of its own, making the crossing a lifeline for the sick, elderly and pupils. “There is no clinic here,” says resident Barbra Lishivha. “When the…