Latest news with #KZNHealth
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
07-07-2025
- Health
- IOL News
KZN Health MEC highlights social media's impact on children's mental health
KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane highlights the alarming impact of social media on children's mental health, urging parents to take an active role in their children's online lives. KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane has issued a strong warning to parents about the dangerous impact social media is having on the mental health of young people, urging them to be more present in their children's digital lives. Speaking during the Department's KZN Health Chat multimedia programme on Friday, Simelane made a heartfelt appeal for parents to pay attention to the content their children are consuming online and who they are interacting with. 'Our children become severely affected by social media,' said Simelane. 'You realise that, as parents, we take it for granted, thinking 'it's just a phone.' But you find cases where a child may take their own life… and everyone is left in shock, asking themselves why, and what happened? Were they depressed? Only to find that it's due to the pressure that they had put themselves under, based on what they see on social media.'
The Herald
01-07-2025
- Health
- The Herald
'The time for excuses has passed' — PSA vows escalation until every unemployed doctor in KZN is hired
The Public Servants Association (PSA) has vowed to intensify protest action until every qualified, unemployed doctor in KwaZulu-Natal is absorbed into the provincial health system. The union, which represents thousands of public sector employees, has thrown its weight behind more than 150 unemployed doctors, who despite completing their internships and community service, remain without work. 'These doctors have completed their internship and community service obligations in line with public health policy but have been abandoned by the same government that trained them,' said the PSA in a statement. The union warned it would not back down until the KZN department of health provides clear answers about staffing plans. 'Health care is not a commodity, it is a human right. Doctors are not surplus, they are essential,' said the PSA. In a recent media statement, the KwaZulu-Natal health department confirmed that 20 medical officer posts will be advertised within the next seven days as part of an interim intervention. 'This comes as a result of ongoing engagements between the department of health and the Office of the Premier, which are aimed at finding practical solutions under challenging fiscal conditions,' the department said. Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane, speaking alongside premier Thami Ntuli, explained that the 800 medical posts referenced earlier this year by the national finance minister refer to a national allocation — not a provincial one — and that KZN will only receive a portion. 'We want to make it clear that those 800 posts form part of a national process, which is being handled at the level of the minister of health, the minister of finance, and parliament. KZN, like all other provinces, will receive a portion of those posts. Once national [government] has finalised that process and informed us how many posts we will receive, we will immediately advertise them,' said Simelane. She said they were not ignoring the problem. 'When we realised that our provincial budget would not be enough to absorb all the doctors finishing their community service this year, we escalated the matter to the premier. The premier and I then took the issue directly to the president,' said Simelane. Simelane blamed long-term financial cuts for the current staffing crisis. 'In the past five years, our department has lost R14bn to baseline budget cuts. That has greatly affected our ability to expand our staff complement,' she said. The PSA said these explanations were not enough. 'The PSA demands that minister of health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, must immediately confirm how many of the 1,500 posts he promised on April 10 have been allocated to KwaZulu-Natal,' the union said. 'In addition, budget allocations must be urgently released to allow the provincial department to advertise and fill these critical posts without delay. This delay is a denial of justice, a betrayal of the working class, and a blatant undermining of the right to health for the people of KwaZulu-Natal,' said the PSA. The union painted a dire picture of the state of health care in the province, saying it has a doctor-to-patient ratio of just 0.4 per 1,000 people — far below acceptable standards. 'Emergency units are short-staffed, surgical backlogs are growing, and burnout among medical personnel has reached a breaking point. And yet, over 150 doctors remain jobless. The situation reflects poor governance and a leadership crisis,' said the PSA. 'These are not new posts but critical vacancies that have been left unfilled.' The union has also called for a joint meeting involving national and provincial authorities, unions and community organisations to craft a 'radical and people-centred workforce plan' based on population needs and transparent staffing data. 'These unemployed doctors are not job seekers begging for work. They are professionals demanding the fulfilment of a promise, and the right to serve communities. Government cannot continue to pay lip service to health transformation while it leaves hospitals short of hands and graduates unemployed,' the PSA said. The union warned that unless decisive action is taken soon, it will escalate its mobilisation efforts. 'The time for bureaucratic excuses has passed. The PSA will intensify mobilisation alongside unemployed doctors and progressive forces until every qualified doctor is placed, every funded post is filled and every patient is treated with dignity,' it said. TimesLIVE
The Citizen
04-06-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
Teen moms avoid healthcare amid fears of reporting rape, discloses KZN health MEC
The health of teen moms and their babies hangs in the balance as young rape victims are too scared to access formal healthcare when giving birth. This was revealed by KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane, who said this is owing to the laws compelling those in authority to report the rape. ALSO READ: KZN Health MEC places cervical cancer prevention in spotlight Speaking at a meeting of the Provincial Council on Aids in Durban last Thursday, Simelane expressed her deep concern over the growing number of teenage and child pregnancies, particularly those involving adult men. 'This issue is both a health crisis and a social justice emergency that requires urgent intervention,' she said. 'This puts young girls at high risk, especially when they are forced to give birth in unsafe conditions. South African law defines statutory rape as any sexual activity with a person under the age of 16, and makes the reporting of such cases to law enforcement mandatory.' Simelane believes that an urgent and collaborative dialogue involving parents, traditional leaders, civil society and the government is needed to decisively address this disturbing pattern. 'I want to make a proposal that we lead from the front in combatting this crisis. We need to come together and deal with this matter head on because these activities are happening right where we are. Children get pregnant in our societies in our communities. 'Unless we talk about it and act decisively, we will continue to see young lives destroyed. We are raising a broken generation if we remain silent.' Don't have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here: HAVE YOUR SAY Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter. For news straight to your phone invite us: WhatsApp – 060 784 2695 Instagram – zululand_observer At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
