Latest news with #HealthMEC
IOL News
3 days ago
- Health
- IOL News
KZN Health MEC encourages men to prioritise health and seek help
A man visiting a men's clinic at the Pinetown municipal clinic. The Health MEC has urged men in the province to prioritise their health. Image: Tumi Pakkies / Independent Newspapers KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane has issued a heartfelt appeal to men across the province to prioritise their health and seek medical assistance when necessary, stressing that doing so is 'not a sign of weakness.' Speaking on the Department's KZN Health Chat multimedia programme recently, Simelane said the Department is intensifying efforts to bring health services closer to men, who are often reluctant to access them. 'As the Department of Health, we are encouraging men to change their mindset and realise that seeking help is not a sign of weakness,' said Simelane. 'We are really urging them to come to our clinics, Community Health Centres, and hospitals.' She said the reluctance of many men to seek healthcare has dire consequences. 'It's a known fact that men generally do not like to come to health facilities. Women do come, and so do girls. You can see that they grow up knowing it's normal to seek help. However, when it comes to men, and even boys, you can see that they don't want to come through, which makes it difficult for us to deal with various ailments that affect them.' Simelane warned that many men die prematurely from treatable illnesses simply because they delay seeking help. 'It is not uncommon for men to suffer from a severe headache, due to high blood pressure or a hypertensive crisis, and not seek help up until it leads to something as serious as stroke.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ To address this challenge, the Department has established 129 Men-Friendly Clinics throughout the province. 'This is a good achievement when you consider that we didn't have a single one two years ago,' she said. 'These clinics don't only deal with issues such as erectile dysfunction. They address men's health needs holistically, including ailments such as high blood pressure, diabetes, mental health, HIV, TB, cancer screening, and much more.' The goal this Men's Month is to encourage a mindset shift. 'We want men to know that there's no shame in coming to the clinic. We want to help before things get worse,' Simelane said. 'However, the real change must come from the men themselves by taking that first step towards a healthier and longer life.' THE MERCURY
eNCA
08-05-2025
- Health
- eNCA
KZN health cuts off some projects to pay R1.7bn for service providers
PIETERMARITZBURG - The KwaZulu-Natal Health Department owes service providers a staggering R1,7 billion. Health MEC, Nomagugu Simelane-Mngadi, says the department is in dire financial straits. And it may be forced to cut some key projects to pay service providers. The department tried to pay some, spreading out the payments for big service providers with invoices above R500 000 over 60 days - to little avail. The department's budget has been slashed by R9 billion over the past five years, placing it in a precarious financial situation. Simelane-Mngadi says they must stop some services to have money to pay service providers and avoid a fiscal crisis. But this would likely compromise the delivery of health services. The department sats service providers who were not paid in March are scheduled to be paid on sometime this month.
The South African
29-04-2025
- Health
- The South African
South African patient airlifted after 'healthcare failure' in Zimbabwe
A South African patient, who became seriously ill while working in Bulawayo, allegedly struggled to get the critical medical attention he needed while in Zimbabwe. As the patient's life hung in the balance, his only viable option was not within Zimbabwe's borders. As a result, South African authorities dispatched a helicopter to retrieve him. According to reports, an ambulance transported the patient from Bulawayo to Beitbridge, where a helicopter airlifted him to South Africa. The situation appeared so serious that Limpopo's Premier, Dr Phophi Ramathuba, and Health MEC, Dieketseng Mashego, were personally there when he arrived. The Limpopo Provincial government confirmed the incident on X. They emphasised that the patient could not receive necessary medical treatment when he fell ill in Bulawayo. The incident has since painted a grim picture of Zimbabwe's healthcare system. Some netizens took to social media to react to the incident. 'When I write about Zimbabwe being a failed state, some of you think that I am exaggerating,' said Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin'ono. '…but this is our daily reality in Zimbabwe. Corruption has destroyed healthcare in Zimbabwe, and the few stories that I share on this page are only the tip of the iceberg.' Here is how others reacted on X: @Ish_Nzimande: 'In Zimbabwe, they don't allow other African countries to use their health care facilities.' @Faridaa50635225: 'Well, well, so we have to treat them but they are unable to treat us Where is Simba now' @smmongo:'How did the Premier and the MEC know about this? Did the person who fell ill speed dial them? Was this person working for government?' Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
