Private hospitals gear up as vaccination sites for healthcare workers
Thirteen private hospitals have been added to the list of vaccination sites currently vaccinating frontline and at risk healthcare workers. This release provides the list, as well as the catchment facilities they will serve, and includes details of specific arrangements to bolster risk stratification and to ensure an efficient rollout.
Effective management of water in dialysis augments better outcomes
Water is the foundation of life making it a perfect breeding ground for infection, microbial growth and antibiotic resistant pathogens. Water, also being the foundation for dialysis, plays the most important role for successful patient care. Adverse patient outcomes including outbreaks associated with water exposure in dialysis settings, have resulted from patient exposure to water via a variety of pathways, including improper formulation of dialysate with water containing high levels of chemical or biological contaminants and reprocessing of dialyzers with contaminated water. For the health and safety of patients, it is vital to ensure the water used to perform dialysis is safe and clean.
Study of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among blood donors in four provinces suggest actual infections may exceed officially diagnosed infections by a factor of ten
The South African National Blood Service (SANBS), in partnership with the Western Cape Blood Service (WCBS), conducted a survey (also known as a seroprevalence study) of healthy consenting blood donors in four provinces, to determine how many donors have SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, which would be an indication of previous infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 disease. Preliminary results of this study, reporting on seroprevalence in these four provinces (Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Free State, and KwaZulu Natal) have just been released by deposit of a manuscript to the preprint archive arxiv.org.
‘Engineer knee surgeon’ pioneers technique gaining world acclaim
A pioneering approach to total knee replacements is gaining international credence some 13 years after South African orthopaedic surgeon, Professor Ponky Firer, developed his unique balanced technique for the procedure. With his understanding of biomechanics and the ‘science of knees’ informed by a background in engineering, Prof. Firer’s technique is outshining world patient satisfaction rates while restoring mobility and quality of life for patients. “The results Professor Firer is achieving for knee replacement patients in our country is well above the outcomes recorded in published literature worldwide,” says Jacques du Plessis, managing director of Netcare’s hospital division.
World Obesity Day 4 March 2021 – Tackling misconceptions around obesity and weight loss
World Obesity Day is observed globally on 4 March. Obesity is a growing health problem worldwide, with 13% of adults worldwide considered obese and obesity being the cause of premature death for 4.7 million people in 2017.
The Set Point Theory states that every person has a certain ‘set’ weight that their body accepts and is genetically disposed to, so any attempts to lose weight results in the body’s survival instincts kicking in to regain weight to stay at that ‘set’ weight.
While obesity is a growing health concern worldwide, there are still many misconceptions around what exactly obesity is and how to go about treating it.
Lockdown burnout – how to keep your fire burning
Burnout – the state of absolute exhaustion resulting from chronic stress – is considered a work-related condition but with lockdowns and remote working blurring the lines between home and office and classroom, “pandemic fatigue” or “lockdown burnout” is a reality in the “new normal” of COVID-19.
A cleaning technology breakthrough in the fight against COVID pandemic
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for effective hand sanitisers and masks have become an essential element of daily life. Many organisations started mass producing these products to meet the sudden and unexpected rise in demand. However, most of these products are manufactured utilising harmful chemicals and products. In the long run, the use of these chemically based products could potentially cause unwanted damage to health.
Immunotherapy medication offers more treatment options for more cancers
Worldwide cancer is the second leading cause of death with around one in six deaths due to cancer. In 2018, approximately 9.6 million people died due to cancer. This reinforces the need for more treatment options including treatments that can cover a range of cancer indications. Immunotherapy can work better for certain types of cancer and is often used alongside other treatments such as surgery. MSD is proud to launch an immunotherapy medication with indications expanded to cover six different indications. This can improve the treatment options for cancer patients and enhance the arsenal of cancer responses.
New way forward for obesity treatment – new medication could give people with obesity the way to match their will
Novo Nordisk, a leading global healthcare company, is proud to be launching its first anti-obesity product in South Africa. This prescription medication may be able to help people with excess weight manage their weight, especially if traditional methods of treatment are not effective. To learn more about the medication, patients will need to consult with their healthcare practitioner.
Call to prioritise the well-being of healthcare workers
South Africa’s frontline workers are no doubt a critical resource in minimising disability and death during the pandemic, and therefore their physical and mental well-being is key. The commitment of many doctors and nurses, young and old, is inspirational and must be preserved. Every effort – no matter how small – must be made to make their lives easier.
New eucalytptus & menthol formulation has excellent anti-viral properties
New eucalyptus & menthol formulation has excellent anti-viral properties South African’s are now able to breathe easier with the NEW RespiClear® Decongestant range from OBEL®. The range boasts steroid-free Nebs, petroleum-free Vapour Rub and preservative-free...
Does your sanitiser guarantee your protection against SARS-CoV2?
In what can only be called a ground breaking result, not only for Biodx but also South Africa in the ongoing fight against Coronavirus, Biodx has received the official confirmation from TNO (The Netherlands Organisation for applied scientific research) that our active ingredient b bioactive™, has a 99.987% reduction against the SARS-CoV2 virus for surface disinfection and hand sanitisers.
Supply chain management is the vital ingredient needed for covid-19 vaccine success in South Africa
While President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that South Africa’s Covid-19 vaccine strategy is well underway, with 20 million doses to be delivered in the first half of the year, this is just the first step, and effective supply chain management will be the key ingredient for a successful vaccine roll-out, according to SAPICS, Southern Africa’s Professional Body for Supply Chain Management.
Mental illness disability in the workplace – the stigma is real
Work is good for your mental health but many employees with mental health-related disability face an uphill battle against discrimination, stigma and ignorance as they strive for equality and full participation in work.
At the same time, employers who fail to offer reasonable accommodation or adapt working conditions or duties for an employee with psychosocial disability can find themselves on the wrong side of the law.
Intercare partners with super app for immediate access to primary healthcare
Tele-medicine is now made possible through smartphone technology to the public through a free super app – just in time for the festive season. This technology enables the private sector to have a stake in digital healthcare in South Africa – a unique opportunity to support this fast-growing need for accessibility to primary healthcare.