Dear Colleagues,

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Sibongiseni Maxwell Dhlomo and the Superintendent-General in the Eastern Cape, Dr Rolene Wagner, on their appointments.

The medical profession in South Africa is constantly being challenged with issues that affect it, most recently relating to the Certificate of Need, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the vaccination roll-out, and even changes in parliament. It is at these times that I am reminded that these are not new and that we sometimes need to step back from what we currently experience and reflect on how our predecessors dealt with very similar challenges in the past.

I believe that it is only through the study of history that people can really understand the reasons behind changes, and only through history that we can understand what elements of an institution, or a society, continue regardless of endless change.

As the Chairperson of a very old institution such as SAMA, one of the oldest existing medical associations in the world, I have come to appreciate the humbling impact and legacy of so many who have come before us. These are medical doctors, leaders of our communities and of our society, who have shaped and transformed the medical profession in South Africa. These are SAMA members who have truly been the custodians of the profession, who had a role in uniting, guiding and supporting our members for the health of the South African nation. These are our members who continue to have a daily impact on so many lives.

I recently had the privilege of interacting with the daughter of one of our now deceased SAMA members, Dr Edward Sonnenfeld, previous Chairman of the then MASA Peer Review Committee, and Chair and President of the Eastern Transvaal Branch (1989). He really enjoyed being a doctor and gave his whole life to helping others medically and someone who was quite a figure in the medical fraternity over many years.

He loved his surgery having delivered triplets in the early 70s in Nigel. His daughter spoke of how she grew up sitting outside hospitals and nursing homes while he completed a home visit. She recounted one of his favourite aphorisms: “You only know the inside of a family or patient if you visited their home and saw how they lived.” Dr Sonnenfeld loved being a SAMA member and truly believed in the SAMA ethos and importance of having an institution like SAMA assist the profession and mentor its young leaders.

Dr Sonnenfeld made provision for SAMA in his will, but mostly what he leaves behind is a legacy to the next generation of members who he believed will have an impact on the profession. By looking at specific stories of individuals and situations, you can test your own morals and values. You can compare it to some real and difficult situations that individuals have had to face in trying times.

Looking at people who have faced and overcome adversity can be inspiring. You can study the great people of history who successfully worked through moral dilemmas, and also ordinary people who teach us lessons in courage, persistence and protest. I therefore urge our SAMA members to share their stories. Let us build the history pages of SAMA by communicating it to our younger members and future leaders. Let us acknowledge the legacy left to us.

In closing – our new SAMA App has been launched. Please make sure to download and interact. This can become a very powerful tool to all our members in future.

Thank you for all your efforts and work you are doing during these trying times.
 
Yours in Solidarity

Dr Angelique Coetzee
SAMA: Chairperson

The Centre for Medical Ethics and Law (CMEL) at Stellenbosch University is exploring the acceptability and robustness of the electronic consent process for research participation in a COVID -19 vaccine implementation study. If you are a health care professional and/or a researcher/part of a research team, you are invited to participate in an online survey of a study entitled: Perspectives of Research Participants on the electronic consent process implemented in a COVID – 19 vaccine trial in South Africa. Your responses will be considered to be in your personal capacity and will not reflect the views of your employer or institution. The study has been approved by the Stellenbosch University Health Research Ethics Committee.

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Allegations of maladministration and financial irregularities involving the President of the HPCSA

The South African Medical Association (SAMA) says it is aware of allegations of maladministration and financial irregularities involving the President of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), Prof. Mbulaheni Nemutandani.

Among the allegations is that Prof Nemutandani claimed for various expenses from the HPCSA, despite written directives from the Minister of Health prohibiting him from making such expense claims.

“At the moment the allegations remain exactly that, and are untested. We cannot comment on allegations as this would be unfair on Prof. Nemutandani in particular, and the HPSCA in general. However, we believe the allegations are serious and, if true, would amount to significant graft within the HPCSA. For everyone’s benefit, these allegations must be thoroughly investigated to determine their veracity,” says Dr Angelique Coetzee, Chairperson of SAMA.

Dr Coetzee says until an investigative process has been finalised, SAMA will not comment further on the matter.

Covid-19: Sahpra probe finds deaths of 29 vaccinated people not linked to the jab

After investigations, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) has been unable to link any deaths reported to it to the Covid-19 vaccine.

Sahpra has so far investigated 29 cases of death that occurred shortly after people received the Covid-19 vaccine, spokesperson Yuven Gounden said.

SA estimates 220,000 excess deaths during the pandemic – ranked among the world's worst

It's estimated that South Africa has suffered 220,000 excess deaths – roughly three times the total number of confirmed Covid-19 fatalities – since May 2020.

Excess deaths are defined as the difference in the total number of deaths in a crisis compared to those expected under normal conditions, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Covid-19: WHO roped in to assist as Eastern Cape's death toll spikes

The World Health Organisation is assisting the Eastern Cape government and national health department in trying to determine the contributing factors to the region's climbing Covid-19 death rate and to find ways to stem it.

Health MEC Nomakhosazana Meth said despite the number of Covid-19 deaths declining slightly from 191 last week to 156 in the current week, the numbers remained high and was cause for concern.

Women in Health: Africa’s youngest brain surgeon is carrying the torch for neurosurgery

The feeling of sipping a cold drink, holding the glass in your hand, and the rush of thirst-quenching pleasure, was a visual image offered by Jilata’s Grade 11 biology teacher that began a life-long love of neurons.

“The way he introduced this concept of impulses taken to the brain and the circuitry of neurons, I thought, there’s nothing that could top this,” she tells Spotlight.

Joburg’s air quality has been particularly bad recently – and poses serious health risks

Johannesburg's ongoing air pollution problem has been particularly bad in the first week of August, with both local and international assessors flagging hazardous air quality which poses serious health risks, especially during a pandemic.

The dire state of Johannesburg's air is not a new phenomenon. The World Health Organisation reported that air pollution killed almost 20,000 South Africans in 2013

Why Covid-19 vaccines should be mandatory in South Africa

In many countries, healthcare professionals and care home workers in facilities for the aged or disabled must be vaccinated as an occupational requirement.

They are duty bound to accept a vaccine because of their non-negotiable pledge to avoid harm to patients, colleagues and their own families.

The South African Medical Association - Postal Address-The South African Medical Association P O Box 74789,Lynnwood Ridge Pretoria 0040, South Africa
Physical address The South African Medical Association, Block F Castle Walk Corporate Park Nossob Street Erasmuskloof Ext3 Pretoria 0181, South Africa www.samedical.org

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