Limpopo
Getting water is an arduous reality for Giyani resident
Access to water is a constitutional right in South Africa. Safe and readily available water is also important for public health. According to the World Health Organisation access to safe and adequate water supply is the cornerstone to preventing infections. Without enough water people are…
Water woes continue as residents wait for the completion of Giyani project
Elizabeth Masinge struggles to get the wheelbarrow over the rocky gravel road near her home in Bode Village, outside Giyani in Limpopo. The 69-year-old zig-zags across the road, trying hard to control the load: two 25-litre containers full of water. …
One ambulance for 96 villages as cash strapped Limpopo health fails to replace and repair broken ones
Residents in over 96 villages in Giyani, Limpopo, have been relying on a single ambulance for medical emergencies since the beginning of the year. “When you contact the Giyani EMS station for an ambulance, they will tell you straight that…
Mother faces daily struggle for survival as food prices skyrocket
Patricia Maluleke* is fraught with worry. The unemployed 29-year-old from Thohoyandou, in Limpopo, recently had a baby girl and it’s been a struggle. “My daughter is only four-months old, but I am already facing uncertainty whether I will be able…
Cash strapped Limpopo health department is faced with a dire shortage of healthcare workers
“I regret being a nurse in Limpopo. We are under-staffed and working under constant pressure. We are working with ‘skeleton’ teams and we have to do double the work, no matter how tired and fatigued we are,” says Shirly Sithole*.…
Limpopo health facilities without water
The entire Vhembe District in Limpopo, including five hospitals and several clinics have been without water since Monday. Protesting residents have shut down the pumping of the water supply at Nandoni Dam, the main water source. Neil Shikwambana, Limpopo Department…
Water-stricken Limpopo residents face disease threat
As residents in the Seshego township in Limpopo continue to experience water cuts, the threat of contracting waterborne diseases has caused an increased sense of fear. Taps in the township, which falls under the Polokwane municipality, have been dry…
Shortage of 24-hour nurses causes havoc in Limpopo
The ambitious 24-hour daily service, including weekends at Limpopo clinics and primary health centres (CHCs) is hitting a snag due to a shortage of nurses and ancillary staff. Community members and health workers’ unions have since called for action…
Measles: Catch-up vaccinations in full swing
Like the rest of the world, South Africa has embarked on urgent measles vaccination catch-up programmes to help minimise the spread of the disease post-COVID-19. Globally, measles vaccination has steadily declined since the pandemic’s beginning in 2020. This decline is…
Panic as Limpopo faces emergency staff crisis
Limpopo is facing a potential crisis ahead of the festive season after 21 emergency care officers were fired. Their contracts were terminated after the Health Professionals Council of South Africa (HPCSA) concluded they failed to meet the required standards…
Measles outbreak alert: Cases spread in Limpopo
Limpopo Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba has urged parents, guardians, and caregivers to remain vigilant as more measles cases have spread to other parts of the province. According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases(NICD), the number of laboratory-confirmed cases…
Measles: NICD warns of outbreaks across SA
Following an outbreak of measles cases in Limpopo, an expert from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has warned that similar outbreaks are likely to occur in other parts of the country. A surveillance team from the NICD has…
COVID-19: Cases on the rise in Limpopo, Eastern Cape
The National Department of Health is keeping a close eye on two provinces where COVID-19 infections have picked up. There’s been a sharp rise in the number of new cases in Limpopo and the Eastern Cape. And even though hospitalisations…
Phelophepa train ticks all the boxes in Mokopane
With the arrival of the Phelophepa train in Mokopane in Limpopo, residents have been able to overcome long queues, medicine stock-outs and a lack of privacy. The state-owned Transnet mobile clinic has provided free healthcare to thousands of South Africans…