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Mail & Guardian
18-06-2025
- Health
- Mail & Guardian
Elon Musk, depression and South Africa's cowboy ketamine clinics
What's ketamine all about? Bhekisisa recently spoke with Bavi Vythilingum, a member of the South African Society of Psychiatrists, who helped write the guidelines for ketamine use to understand more about the drug and how it works. (Wikimedia) 'To be clear, I am NOT taking drugs!' the richest man in the world The New York Times was lying their ass off.' Elon Musk — originally from South Africa and until recently the head of the Trump administration's so-called 'I tried prescription ketamine a few years ago and said so on X, so this [is] not even news. It helps for getting out of dark mental holes, but I haven't taken it since then,' he told The New York Times. Musk also In South Africa, treatment-resistant depression is Musk has openly talked about Because ketamine causes temporary ' These psychedelic effects, and the fact that ketamine can make people feel happier, are part of the reason why ketamine is also used as a street drug, often known as 'Vitamin K' or 'Special K'. Musk told The Don Lemon Show that ' In South Africa, In 2022, ketamine Bhekisisa the spray isn't available in the country. Some healthcare providers in South Africa are also administering the drug In the case of ketamine, the South African Society of Psychiatrists (Sasop) has But Bhekisisa's TV programme, Health Beat , Sahpra's chief executive, Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela, Experts say unregulated use of ketamine is not only risky — it can be deadly, In an autopsy, authorities in Los Angeles found that Friends actor Matthew Perry, who played the character Chandler Bing and wrote about his Mia Malan recently spoke to psychiatrist Bavi Vythilingum, a member of the Bhekisisa 's May episode of Mia Malan (MM): Why are psychiatrists talking about ketamine right now? Bavi Vythilingum (BV): It's probably MM: Why does it work so fast? BV: We're not 100% sure, but we think that it's because it's MM: What is a BV: Glutamate is a brain neurotransmitter like serotonin and noradrenaline. Glutamate is situated throughout the brain and ketamine works on that receptor. MM : So it's something that helps you to feel good? BV : If you're taking ketamine, for example, for drug use, it would produce an altered state of consciousness, which can make you feel good, but can also be unpleasant. But certainly, for depression, MM: So who gets ketamine? Is it people who need to be helped immediately, and then you wean them off it? Or how does it work? BV: So there are two groups of people who would get ketamine: people who are MM: And if you then put such a patient on ketamine, explain to us what happens. BV: Most people who have ketamine will have what we call a MM: And for how long would that last? BV: For as long as we give the infusion. So usually about 40 minutes. Then they go home and they come back after two to three days for a total of about six infusions. MM: And what happens after that? BV: There's no MM: What about addiction? BV: We have to assess somebody very carefully for previous substance use and current substance use. So if somebody is an active substance user, even if they're not using ketamine — say they're an alcoholic — you'd be very cautious about giving ketamine. MM: Who can give ketamine? We have heard of many clinics that give it where it's not psychiatrists giving it, where a GP gives infusions. Is that legal? BV: It is technically not illegal, because any doctor can give any medication. That's a MM: What does ketamine treatment cost? And do medical aids pay for it? BV: You're looking at about R2 400 to R2 500 per infusion. The big cost of that is around personnel because you need an anaesthetically trained doctor and a nurse. MM: Do medical aids pay? BV: Medical aids are starting to pay. So your top-tier medical aids will pay for ketamine upon motivation, but the medical aids are reluctant to pay. And a big cause of the reluctance is all these so-called cowboy ketamine clinics. The medical aids are saying, quite rightly, that they don't know if ketamine is going to be given safely. This interview appeared in a recent episode of Bhekisisa 's monthly TV programme, . This story was produced by the . Sign up for the .
TimesLIVE
18-06-2025
- Health
- TimesLIVE
Children's mental health harmed by excessive screen time: help for parents
South Africans spend more time on screens than almost any other nation and the obsession is fuelling a mental health crisis among children and adolescents, warns the South African Society of Psychiatrists (Sasop). Globally, excessive screen use has become so widespread that 'brain-rot' — a term used to capture concerns about the effect of consuming excessive amounts of low-quality online content, especially on social media — was named the Oxford Dictionary's Word of the Year. The effect on children is alarmingly evident, the society said. Adolescents who spend more than five hours per day on digital devices are 70% more likely to have suicidal thoughts or actions than those who spend less than an hour a day. Even adolescents with moderate screen time of 4-6 hours per day are more likely to report symptoms of anxiety and depression than those with two hours less screen time per day. A study in 14 countries reviewing children from pre-primary to high school found mobile phones consistently distracted pupils from learning. Simply having a phone nearby, especially with notifications coming through, is enough to break their attention. Another study showed that once distracted, it can take up to 20 minutes for children to refocus.
New Straits Times
21-04-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Malaysia commends AHA Centre's prompt response to Myanmar earthquake
JAKARTA: Malaysia, as the Chair of Asean in 2025, has commended the Asean Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre) for its prompt response in managing the aftermath of the earthquake that struck Myanmar late last month. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Malaysia also welcomes the activation of the response mechanism under the Standard Operating Procedures for Regional Standby Arrangements and Coordination of Joint Disaster Relief and Emergency Response Operations (Sasop), which facilitates the deployment of regional assets and humanitarian support. Zahid, who also chairs Malaysia's National Disaster Management Committee, said the prompt and effective coordination clearly demonstrates the AHA Centre's vital role in Asean's collective disaster response framework. "The regional solidarity shown by all Asean member states through the deployment of search and rescue teams, humanitarian aid, and essential supplies clearly reflects the strong Asean spirit," he said. He was speaking during his visit to the headquarters of Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) and the AHA Centre here on Monday. According to the Information Team of Myanmar's State Administration Council, the 7.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28 claimed 3,726 lives, injured 5,105 people, and left 129 still unaccounted for as of April 18. The tremors were also felt in neighbouring countries including Thailand. Zahid further emphasised the importance of upholding the "One Asean, One Response" principle, saying it must go beyond rhetoric and be reflected in joint actions by Asean nations during times of disaster. Commenting on the visit, Zahid expressed admiration for BNPB's preparedness, stating that Malaysia's National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) could learn much from its Indonesian counterpart in coordinating emergency response operations. "While Malaysia has only one Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (Smart) to respond to all types of disasters, BNPB has Smart teams specialised in various areas such as fires, floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and maritime accidents," he said. Zahid is currently on a three-day official visit to Indonesia, which concludes tomorrow.
