South African Paramedic Home After 6 Years in Al-Qaeda Captivity
South African paramedic Gerco van Deventer, kidnapped in Libya in 2017 by Al-Qaeda militants, has returned home, reports EWN. He spent over six years in captivity before being released and taken to Algeria for medical care. Gift of the Givers, a humanitarian aid group, played a key role in negotiating his release. Van Deventer is said to be in good health and spirits, reuniting with his family.
Amid Christmas Joy, Concern for Young Mothers as Teenage Pregnancies Rise
Across the country, over 500 babies were born on Christmas Day by midday, with Gauteng leading in births followed by KwaZulu-Natal, reports News24. The Northern Cape welcomed the first baby, a girl, at midnight, followed closely by KwaZulu-Natal with a baby boy at 00:02. Gauteng saw 194 newborns by noon, mostly from regional and district hospitals. KwaZulu-Natal registered 73 births, with busy maternity wards welcoming twins in different hospitals. Concern arose about teenage pregnancies, with several young mothers giving birth in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape, prompting health officials to stress the dangers and advocate for parental involvement and open discussions about sex education. The national Health Department urged timely immunizations and birth registration. Other provinces will release their Christmas birth statistics soon.
Bus Operator Piotrans in Business Rescue
Once hailed as a beacon of Black Economic Empowerment, Johannesburg's Rea Vaya bus system now teeters on the brink of collapse, hobbled by mounting debts exceeding R500,000 owed to a fuel supplier and repair outlet alone, reports Karyn Maughan in an exclusive News24 report. Creditors allege rampant mismanagement and maladministration have brought the critical transport lifeline for the city's working class to its knees. Rather than seek liquidation, they've secured a court-ordered business rescue, aiming to restructure debts and revive Piotrans.
Meet the South African Doctor Championing Rural Healthcare
When Dr Phelelani Dludla saw the devastating affect HIV/Aids was having on his peers before the introduction of antiretrovirals (ARVs), he focused on becoming a doctor so he could help save lives rather than observing from the sidelines, reports TimesLIVE. He specialized in psychiatry after witnessing his sibling's mental health challenges and later expanded to maternity and anesthesia to meet his hospital's needs. His passion for rural healthcare and patient well-being earned him recognition, and he works at Benedictine District Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal. Despite challenges, including limited specialization options in a rural setting, Dludla remains committed to training new doctors and staying in rural healthcare. He aims to create a consortium for job creation in his community and dreams of establishing a corporate healthcare entity tailored to rural clients, akin to major healthcare providers like Netcare or Life Healthcare.
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