Latest news with #KZNDepartmentofHealth
The Citizen
11-07-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
KZN Health condemns vigilante protest blocking hospital access
The KZN Department of Health has condemned the 'abuse of public health services and unlawful acts of vigilantism' in relation to the ongoing protest outside Addington Hospital in Durban. Berea Mail reports that since the start of July, members of the March and March movement have stationed themselves at the gates of the hospital, checking the identity documents of people entering the government healthcare facility. March and March Durban leader Teresa Nortje said they were assisting government and healthcare workers at the South Beach-based hospital, which is 'overwhelmed by foreign nationals'. 'We are enforcing Section 17 of the South African Constitution,' said Nortje. 'If you want to use the clinic, you need to be a South African citizen and a valid taxpayer.' Non-South Africans are reportedly turned away and denied entry to the hospital. Health department condemns protest In a statement, the department condemned this, along with 'the actions of individuals and organised groups who take the law into their own hands by targeting health facilities and obstructing access to services'. According to KZN Health: 'As much as the department expresses concern over the undue burden placed on the system by undocumented migrants, we strongly reject unlawful actions that prevent any sick individual from receiving medical assistance. No member of the public or structure has the legal or moral authority to block others from accessing healthcare. These illegal actions are not only unconstitutional, but they also pose a serious risk to public health.' The department also addressed the issue of undocumented foreign nationals, stating: 'We unequivocally condemn undocumented foreign nationals who unlawfully cross into South Africa with the sole intention of unduly accessing our public health services. While our health institutions remain committed to upholding basic human rights and ethical healthcare standards, the increasing and unauthorised influx of undocumented individuals continues to place significant pressure on our already strained and underfunded public health system.' Healthcare rights outlined The Witness reports that KZN is currently battling outbreaks of measles, seasonal influenza, and new Covid-19 variants. 'Every sick person must be assessed and managed by health professionals, regardless of nationality,' said the department. It cited legislation guaranteeing access to health services: Section 27 of the Constitution guarantees the right to healthcare and emergency medical treatment for all. The National Health Act 61 of 2003 provides for access to primary healthcare, regardless of immigration status. The Refugees Act 130 of 1998 protects the rights of asylum seekers and refugees, including their right to medical care. The Immigration Act 13 of 2002 allows facilities to inquire about legal status but prohibits withholding emergency treatment. Mixed public reaction Berea Mail reports mixed reactions to the movement's protest, with some calling the campaign inhumane while others supported the cause. Crispin Hemson, a Durban resident who visited Addington Hospital, said: 'At the entrance my way was obstructed by unidentified people who were asking for IDs. I asked them what gave them the right to do this, and they said they were not allowing foreigners through, claiming Section 17 of the Constitution prohibited foreigners from using public hospitals. In reality, the Constitution does not state this at all. Section 17 is about the right to peaceful protest and states nothing about health facilities.' Conversely, Amanda Khuzwayo, who attended the Gateway clinic, said she was in and out within two hours. 'There used to be long queues and now it's quiet. This goes to show who was really benefiting from the clinic. It is sad that people are being turned away, but the results of the campaign speak for themselves.' Clarity on ID requirement confusion Meanwhile, The Witness reports the eThekwini Municipality has addressed social media confusion over a clinic notice that appeared to suggest patients without identity documents would be turned away. In a clarification, the City confirmed that ID requests are standard administrative practice during a first visit to open a patient file but are not a condition for receiving care. 'Once a file has been opened, patients are not required to bring their ID for future visits,' the statement read. The Department of Health has called on law enforcement agencies to act decisively against anyone obstructing access to health services and urged residents to raise concerns through lawful channels. 'Disrupting services endangers lives — especially those of vulnerable South Africans in critical condition — and undermines the very essence of public healthcare delivery.' Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
11-07-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
KZN Health condemns ‘unlawful acts of vigilantism' by protesters
THE KZN Department of Health has condemned the 'abuse of public health services and unlawful acts of vigilantism' in relation to the ongoing protest outside Addington Hospital. Since the start of July, the members of the March and March movement have been stationed at the gates of the hospital, checking the identity document of people entering the government healthcare facility. Teresa Nortje, March and March Durban leader, said that they were assisting government and healthcare workers at the South Beach-based hospital which is 'overwhelmed by foreign nationals'. 'We are enforcing Section 17 of the South African Constitution,' said Nortje. 'If you want to use the clinic, you need to be a South African citizen and a valid taxpayer.' Non-South Africans are turned away and denied entry to hospital. In a statement, the department condemned this along with 'the actions of individuals and organised groups who take the law into their own hands by targeting health facilities and obstructing access to services'. According to KZN Health, 'As much as the Department expresses concern over the undue burden placed on the system by undocumented migrants, we strongly reject unlawful actions that prevent any sick individual from receiving medical assistance. No member of the public or structure has the legal or moral authority to block others from accessing healthcare. These illegal actions are not only unconstitutional, but they also pose a serious risk to public health.' Also Read: WATCH: Foreign nationals stopped from entering Addington Hospital Gateway Clinic In the same statement the department also addressed the issue of undocumented foreign nationals. 'We unequivocally condemn undocumented foreign nationals who unlawfully cross into South Africa with the sole intention of unduly accessing our public health services. While our health institutions remain committed to upholding basic human rights and ethical healthcare standards, the increasing and unauthorised influx of undocumented individuals continues to place significant pressure on our already strained and underfunded public health system.' Meanwhile, there have been mixed reactions to the movement's protest with some calling the campaign inhumane while others supported the cause. Crispin Hemson, a Durban resident who went to Addington Hospital on Thursday morning, said that he was appalled at being asked for his ID by members of the movement. He said, 'At the entrance my way was obstructed by unidentified people who were asking people for their IDs. I asked them what gave them the right to do this, and they said they were not allowing through foreigners, and that they can do this because Section 17 of the Constitution prohibits foreigners from using public hospitals. In reality, the Constitution does not state this at all. As you know, Section 17 is about the right to peaceful protest and states nothing about health facilities.' On the other hand, Amanda Khuzwayo who was attending the Gateway clinic, said that she was in and out within two hours. 'There used to be long queues and now it's quiet, this goes to show who was really benefiting from the clinic. It is sad at the same time that people are being turned away but the results of the campaign speak for themselves,' said Khuzwayo. For more from Berea Mail, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
11-06-2025
- Health
- IOL News
Challenges in implementing the Health Patient Registration System in KwaZulu-Natal
The Addington Hospital has been selected as one of the 10 hospitals that will begin implementing the Health Patient Registration System (HPRS) in KwaZulu-Natal. Image: Motshwari Mofokeng / Independent Newspapers Budget shortfall and internet connectivity are some of the challenges hampering progress in the Health Patient Registration System (HPRS) in KwaZulu-Natal. With KZN having deep rural areas, the issue of connectivity to health services was making it difficult to implement the HPRS, said KZN Department of Health (DoH) MEC Nomagagu Simelane when she addressed the Select Committee on Social Services at the National Council of Provinces on Wednesday. The committee received briefings from Health departments in KZN, Mpumalanga, and the Northern Cape on the readiness to implement the HPRS. Simelane said some clinics in rural areas were not able to implement the HRPS because they could not connect to the internet, adding that there was a strategy to deal with it. 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 Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The HPRS is an initiative to improve healthcare and data management as one of the National Health Insurance (NHI) imperatives. The HPRS will enable better patient tracking and contributes to reduced waiting times at the registration desk At present, the system lacks interoperability with existing systems in the DoH, said the Acting Head of Department (HOD) in KZN, Penny Msimango. Thus far, 15 million patients have been registered, with 3.7 million of them at 74 health facilities in the eThekwini district. In KZN, the number of facilities with functional HPRS is 488 and non-functional 119 with challenges being faced at 116 clinics. Msimango said that 42 hospitals have started implementing the eHealth system to digitise medical records across the province to replace outdated paper-based record keeping with a digital platform. Interestingly, none of the KZN hospitals have implemented the HPRS, but the DoH has identified 10 hospitals to pilot it. These hospitals are part of the 42 hospitals using the eHealth system, which Msimango hopes will achieve interoperability between eHealth and HPRS. 'Although the system offers significant benefits, its functionality is currently limited to patient registration and there are persistent issues with unreliable or slow internet connectivity. Some facilities do not have functional computers and scanners but procurement is being undertaken in phases, and subject to the availability of the budget,' she said.
The Citizen
15-05-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
ARV defaulters urged to resume treatment
The KZN Department of Health is on a quest to find nearly 117 000 people on antiretrovirals (ARVs) and bring them back to treatment by the end of the year. Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane said the province has about 1.5 million people who are stable on ARVs, saying that the department is now on a mission to find thousands more who have stopped treatment for various reasons. Simelane explained that the province is participating in the newly-launched Close the Gap campaign, a collaboration between the National Department of Health and the South African National Aids Council. Speaking on the Department's KZN Health Chat multimedia programme last Friday, Simelane said the campaign aimed to reach 1.1 million people across the country who know their HIV status, but are not on treatment. The MEC said although more than 200 000 people in KZN are estimated to be lost to treatment, they have set a target of finding 117 616 of them by year-end and returning them to care. 'We are determined to bring people back on treatment. As we always say, no one should ever die just because they've stopped taking medication that can suppress HIV to the point of being undetectable. We know that some people stop taking their ARVs due to treatment fatigue, which we strongly discourage. In some ways, we are victims of our success as a province. People take their medication until they feel so well that they think they can stop,' she said. Simelane added that they only feel better because of the treatment. 'So, we urge everyone to stick to their treatment and for those who've stopped, to come back and re-enrol. If we don't, resistance can develop, making treatment less effective and putting our lives at risk,' she said. She also cautioned that excessive alcohol use can lead to defaulting on treatment. 'Being a teetotaler doesn't make you ibhari (a bumpkin) or unfashionable. There is nothing wrong with not drinking. But if you must drink, do so in moderation – especially if you are on ARVs. Drinking too much makes it harder to keep track of time, let alone remember to take your medication. We plead with our compatriots to take care and protect their health,' she said The MEC said while the department intensifies its Close the Gap efforts, anyone wishing to return to the ARV programme is encouraged to visit their local clinic and speak to a healthcare worker. HAVE YOUR SAY Like the South Coast Fever's Facebook page At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
26-04-2025
- Health
- IOL News
Aspects of dementia might be reversible, says specialist
With growing research on brain health, there are ways to protect your grey matter, boost cognitive function and de-stress. Image: Picture: Meo/Pexels Dementia is widely feared as a terminal condition which robs people of their memories and identity, even turning loved ones into strangers. But medical experts say that certain forms of dementia may stem from underlying, treatable causes such as vitamin deficiencies, infections or metabolic disorders - opening the door to reversal in some patients and renewed hope for families. Dr Kalpesh Narsi, a specialist psychiatrist from the KZN Department of Health said that dementia is not just a memory problem but a multi-organ condition. Narsi was one of the guest speakers on 'demystifying dementia', a webinar hosted by the Arya Samaj Women's Forum (ASWF). At least 100 people attended the webinar in which Narsi said that there were about 60 types of dementia including Alzheimer's, and often memory loss is just one aspect of it which could manifest much later in the illness, while other warning signs could be missed. Narsi said dementia was caused by damage to brain cells and it was significant that an organ which weighed around a kilo and a half and which could fit into the palm of your hand was so powerful. 'These brain cells communicate with each other through connections called synapses and in a healthy brain we have close to a hundred trillion synapses so that's really a lot that's going on in this precious little organ, and what happens in dementia is that these neurons or these nerve cells start to degenerate.' This degeneration, he told the audience, disrupted the thinking or cognitive processes. 'They can have problems about what they're thinking. They have problems with piecing different thoughts together, analyzing their own thoughts, making sense of those thoughts, comprehending. And therefore, their ability to function in daily life is quite impaired.' Narsi said while memory or attention issues are common symptoms of dementia, only functional decline, the loss of a person's ability to manage daily activities independently can lead to a clear diagnosis. This could include reduced mobility, incontinence, loss of the ability to chew or swallow, and an inability to manage other chronic illnesses such as diabetes or high blood pressure, leading to further health complications. Therefore, the cost associated with dementia could be 'tremendous' because apart from medication, eventually those affected would need nutritional supplements, adult nappies as well as transport to hospitals and clinics, said Narsi. He highlighted the importance of treating the biological, psychosocial, as well as the lifestyle aspects of the disease. He said in a group of 60-year-old people, about two or three percent of them would suffer from dementia. However, this number increased exponentially as they grew older. 'If I have to look at a cohort of elderly people that are 80 years old, we're looking at about 10% that have dementia. And if you were to reach the age of 95 years, then your chances of having dementia are around 45%, almost 50%. So as you get older, your risk of getting dementia exponentially gets higher and higher.' Another feature of dementia was that people often displayed exaggerated versions of their preexisting personalities so that someone who was frugal would become extremely stingy or a shy person completely withdrawn. Psychiatric problems like delusions where they begin imagining or believing things that are not true were also a symptom. 'So, they might become paranoid, they might start feeling that people are against them, or people are trying to kill them, or poison them, or people are out to get them, or target them, or maybe even steal things from them. They could hallucinate, which is when people start to hear voices, and typically, they tend to hear voices of the deceased, or voices from, you know, far back in the past,' Narsi said. But it's not all doom and gloom as some forms of dementia caused by vitamin deficiencies (like B12 or thiamine), infections (HIV or syphilis), or thyroid disorders can be reversed with proper treatment. 'So, therefore, a lot of time needs to be spent by the medical practitioner, the team of doctors, to try and pick out the reversible causes of dementia. 'We have secondary dementia, which is a whole host of conditions, which causes the blood supply to the brain to be compromised. So, diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, or blockage of your arteries, all of these would cause a reduction in oxygen supply to one's brain, and this reduction to oxygen supply will then cause dementia,' he said. Speaking multiple languages, a high level of education, yoga and meditation are just some ways to protect brain health, Narsi said. The World Health Organization (WHO) says while age is the strongest known risk factor for dementia, it is not a normal part of ageing. It says dementia is the seventh leading cause of death globally and 65% of dementia-related deaths are in women. In 2021, 57 million people worldwide lived with dementia, with over 60% in low- and middle-income countries and every year there are almost 10 million new cases, according to the WHO. Spiritual leader Swami Aryavesh, the President of the World Council of Arya Samaj told the audience that lifestyle habits as well as stress could be a major contributor to the disease. As a scholar with qualifications in law and linguistics, Swami Aryavesh said that regular social interaction as well as yoga, meditation, healthy eating and exercise played a key role in brain health. 'We must try to teach ourselves that nothing is permanent, whether it's good or bad. So if there's stress today, it is not permanent, it will go away, you just need to have patience. You just need to give some time to that issue and find a solution and move on.' Femada Shamam, CEO at The Association for The Aged (TAFTA) said that the whole family was affected when people suffered with dementia. 'The critical thing is building up our social networks because dementia can be a very lonely disease, and not just for the person living with dementia, but for the caregivers. I found that lots of people who care for older people with dementia isolate themselves because they are embarrassed. They're overwhelmed. So building up your social networks becomes absolutely essential.'
