Reviving SA’s healthcare

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟱 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮. Is it a case of money before members? Health Squared sold itself as a ‘dynamic, new-age medical scheme that is continuously challenging the status quo by delivering more of the healthcare benefits you need’. But for three years, it operated well under the mandatory solvency threshold of 25 percent without a word of caution to its members. Even as the financial situation deteriorated post-pandemic, with a rapidly dwindling membership and an above-average claims ratio from pensioners, members were oblivious that the writing was on the wall. When the axe finally fell, and the scheme applied for voluntary liquidation, members on chronic treatment for life-threatening diseases had mere days to scramble for alternative cover. The bombshell came in defiance of a bid by the Council for Medical Schemes to appoint a curator to protect members. In a lifeline to some, the court ruled that 54 members on dialysis would have their treatment and medication covered until the end of September, or until they joined another scheme. Carte Blanche investigates what this means for patients experiencing grave, life-altering risks. Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://bit.ly/PodcastCB

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟰 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮 At just 21 years old, Dr Thakgalo Thibela cuts an unassuming figure in the dingy halls of Helen Joseph Hospital. Given her obvious youth, patients and families alike can be a little sceptical when first meeting her. But she is the doctor on call and, as she moves from ward to ward, Dr Thibela proudly shows off her medical skills. And she’s not alone. Around the country, young doctors – barely into adulthood – are entering the state healthcare service. Their mission: saving lives. The obstacles ahead are more than a little daunting, but they are equal to the task. Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟭𝟰 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮. Few would have predicted anything good could come of the Dihlabeng Regional Hospital when Carte Blanche investigated Free State health in 2015. Politically captured, corrupt, and in distress, Dihlabeng was dying, causing immense suffering for patients in need. Medication stock-outs, dysfunctional infrastructure, and a desperate staff shortage meant it couldn’t run its mandated 24-hour service. Today, thanks to leadership, teamwork and a never-say-die attitude, the hospital is back from the brink – fighting, one patient at a time, to restore the public’s confidence. Equally inspiring, we visit the Speech Therapy and Audiology Department at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital that – far from cutting back services when lockdown came – accelerated and expanded its services. Do these stories of everyday heroes doing their jobs well offer a blueprint for fixing public health? Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟳 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮. The sums don’t add up – in South Africa, over half the money spent on healthcare services only reaches 16 percent of the population. It’s a worrying figure, and a reflection of one glaring aspect of the country’s inequality crisis. But a plan is in motion - National Health Insurance (NHI). Carte Blanche catches up on the NHI juggernaut. Is it steamrolling on or trundling slowly towards completion? And on the ground, what are we having to live and die through as we wait for the transformation of South Africa's healthcare system? Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv