Despite financial constraints, the KwaZulu-Natal Health Department has committed to ensuring the placement of qualified personnel in provincial medical facilities to guarantee patients receive quality healthcare.
Despite financial constraints, the KwaZulu-Natal Health Department has committed to ensuring the placement of qualified personnel in provincial medical facilities to guarantee patients receive quality healthcare.
The Minister of Health (MEC) Nomagugu Simelane detailed her department's plan to address vacancies during last week's budget presentation. She stated that despite serious financial difficulties, investments in staff continue through filling critical vacancies, strengthening leadership, and developing necessary skills within the province.
As of October 2025, 188 doctors, 43 medical specialists, 197 professional nurses, 242 auxiliary nurses, 25 pharmacists, and 20 registrars have been appointed. Furthermore, announcements for another 39 doctor positions are planned in the coming weeks. Vacancies for nursing and related specialists that remain unfilled will also be advertised.
At the community level, the department has continuously hired over 5,000 public health workers, which enhances the stability of primary healthcare and improves access to treatment closer to people's residences. Simelane emphasized that building a sustainable health system requires investment in future specialists. To this end, support for scholarships, internships, specialized clinical training, and the expansion of education in nursing and emergency medicine will continue to ensure KwaZulu-Natal has the necessary workforce in the future.
In addition to hiring new personnel, the department aims to retain experienced professionals whose knowledge and experience support the functioning of institutions. During the 2025/26 fiscal year, three hundred seventy-seven employees left the department through early retirement and voluntary resignation programs, with another 1,199 applications currently under review. The MEC expressed particular concern about the potential loss of experienced doctors, nurses, and other scarce skills. She assured that even under limited finances, retaining critical skills, filling strategic vacancies, and ensuring the quality of medical care for the residents of KwaZulu-Natal will remain a priority.
Imran Kika, the DA party representative for health in KZN and chairperson of the KZN legislative assembly's Health Committee, noted that the DA highly values all dedicated individuals working in the KZN health system, often under extremely difficult circumstances. He added that many sacrifice their family lives and bear an emotional burden that cannot be compensated by salary, and they deserve a government that works as hard as they do.
A stent is placed to relieve a blockage when heart blood vessels are obstructed, but this procedure is not mandatory in all cases. It is important to understand when stent implantation is necessary and when medication alone is sufficient. Cardiologists note that the decision to place a stent is based not only on the degree of blockage but also on the patient's symptoms, the state of blood circulation in the heart, and other factors.
Professor of Cardiology at Medanta Medicity Mulchand, Dr. Tarun Kumar, explained that in most cases, a stent is not required if the degree of blockage in the heart arteries is less than 50 percent. Patients in such situations are prescribed medication and diet. They are also advised to quit smoking and alcohol. Although the risk of a heart attack with less than 50 percent blockage is lower, these patients are identified during angiography.
Dr. Tarun emphasized that for a blockage level between 50 and 69 percent, the decision to place a stent is not made solely based on angiography results or the percentage of blockage. If the patient does not have signs such as chest pain, shortness of breath, or other symptoms, and heart circulation is normal, treatment can continue with medication. In these cases, doctors use tests such as stress tests, FFR, or IFR to determine the actual impact of the blockage on blood flow. Stent placement is considered only if a significant reduction in blood flow is found during these tests.
The probability of stent placement increases when the blockage reaches 70–89 percent, especially if the patient regularly experiences chest pain, difficulty walking, or signs of myocardial ischemia. Stents are recommended, particularly if the blockage affects a major coronary artery of the heart. Nevertheless, patients with stable conditions and no symptoms can be monitored with medication and regular check-ups.
When the blockage reaches 90–99 percent, the heart artery is almost completely closed. In such conditions, a stent is immediately placed if the patient has persistent symptoms, signs of myocardial ischemia, or has already suffered a heart attack. Dr. Tarun also noted that in the case of an acute heart attack, emergency angioplasty and a stent may be life-saving.
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi stated that his department has no information regarding any procurement failures or significant irregularities that arose during the evaluation and awarding process of the tender for antiretroviral drugs (ARV).
Motsoaledi refuted the suggestion of irregularities in the awarding of the R15 million antiretroviral drug tender. He emphasized that the department utilized comprehensive due diligence checks and an evaluation process that complied with applicable regulations, including the Public Finance Management Act, the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act, Special Terms and Conditions of the Contract, and the technical specifications issued for this tender.
He noted that the department relies on information provided by bidders in good faith during the evaluation stage, and this information is supported by documentary evidence required in the tender documentation. Therefore, the department is unaware of any procurement failures or significant irregularities, as the entire process was conducted in accordance with the existing legal and regulatory framework.
Motsoaledi responded to questions from Parliament by EFF Deputy Naledi Chirwa-Mpungose, who raised widespread public concern regarding alleged discrepancies, irregularities, and potential failures in the R15 billion antiretroviral drug tender. Chirwa-Mpungose requested information on the due diligence conducted by the Motsoaledi department during the award of the said tender, as well as the names of the companies that received the contracts.
In response, Motsoaledi explained that pharmaceutical tenders include numerous individual items covering various medications, formulations, and package sizes. He clarified that bidders have the right to apply for one or more items, and contract awards are made for each item after evaluating the submitted applications.
The Minister reported that within the ARV tender, first-line tablet products Tenofovir/Lamivudine/Dolutegravir (TLD) represented the highest volume and faced particularly strong competition due to the large number of bids submitted. He added that although Hetero Drugs SA and Cipla Medpro Manufacturing did not receive contracts for TLD after evaluation, both companies successfully passed selection for other items they bid on and consequently secured contracts within the tender.
Overall, the tender was awarded to 11 successful bidders in line with the evaluation results and applicable procurement procedures. These companies are Aurobindo Pharma, Barrs Pharmaceuticals Industries, Cipla Medpro Manufacturing, Emcure Pharmaceuticals SA, Hetero Drugs SA, Innovata Pharmaceuticals, Macleods Pharmaceuticals SA, Pharma Dynamics, Pharmacare Limited Sonke Pharmaceuticals, and Viatris Healthcare.
Five months ago, Motsoaledi approached the Health Portfolio Committee requesting a resolution recommending that the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) investigate the ARV tender. This followed Chirwa-Mpungose's assertion of another political corruption scheme related to the tender award. She insisted that the SIU investigate due to numerous red flags, noting the awarding of the tender to Barrs Pharmaceuticals Industries and Innovata Pharmaceuticals, both of which were in financial distress in December 2025.
Chirwa-Mpungose claimed that these two companies, subsidiaries of Avacare Health, received the tender despite lacking financial solvency. She also pointed out that the Public Finance Management Act requires companies participating in government contracts to demonstrate financial stability, which these two firms lacked.
Motsoaledi had previously stated that due diligence was ensured during the application evaluation process by checking all participants against the requirements specified in the tender conditions. He also mentioned that the department did not review balance sheets or other financial documents because doing so would require engaging external auditing firms, which would be extremely costly. Chief Financial Officer Phasha Mamogale stated that all application requirements were met by the companies at the time of the tender award. Mamogale added that the directors of the two companies held separate executive positions, and the ARV contract tender requirements did not mandate a check of the companies' financial health. Furthermore, he noted that at the time of selecting the companies, the department was unaware of the financial difficulties they would face.
The North West has reached a milestone by vaccinating over one million head of cattle against Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD). This represents a significant breakthrough in efforts to contain the outbreak and protect one of the province's most vital agricultural sectors.
The North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development reported on Monday that as of July 19, 2026, 1,032,615 head of cattle had been vaccinated. This figure places the province among the national leaders in the FMD vaccination program.
The mass vaccination campaign, which began in March, has already covered about 74% of the estimated livestock population in the province. Authorities plan to reach 80% by the end of August, which is a key stage for establishing herd immunity and slowing the spread of the disease.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development for the North West, Madoda Sambata, highly praised this achievement as an important step in the province's fight against the highly contagious animal disease. He stated that reaching the vaccination of over one million head of cattle is an outstanding success and demonstrates the commitment, professionalism, and hard work of veterinary teams who have tirelessly worked across all four districts of the province.
Sambata emphasized that this milestone brings them closer to the goal of vaccinating at least 80% of the provincial herd by the end of August, and ultimately, all suitable animals in the province.
The vaccination campaign is taking place amid government efforts to limit the spread of FMD, which poses a serious threat to livestock farming, animal trade, and rural life. Despite celebrating this achievement, Sambata warned that the campaign is entering a critical phase, and farmers and veterinary workers cannot let their guard down.
He noted that this is not the final destination but merely an important step on a much longer path to controlling and ultimately eradicating the disease. The Minister also stressed that vaccinated cattle will require a second dose to ensure full protection. Sambata added that completing the first phase does not mean that officials or farmers can relax; after this stage, a second dose must be administered to all vaccinated animals, as complete protection depends on adhering to the entire vaccination schedule.
