Medical Expert Calls for Urgent Measles Jab Drive in Gauteng
A medical expert has urged increased measles vaccinations in Gauteng, a s the province continues to deal with an outbreak, reports EWN. Gauteng recorded 181 laboratory-confirmed cases, with hotspots identified in Tshwane, Johannesburg, and Ekurhuleni. Associate Professor Talitha Croxley from the University of the Western Cape said that vaccination coverage in the province remains under 75%, which was well below the threshold to prevent outbreaks. Croxley gave possible reasons why people were not getting vaccinated. She cited post-COVID access issues, vaccine hesitancy, and challenges in marginalised communities as possible causes. In contrast, recent campaigns in the Western Cape have achieved 90% coverage.
Health Minister Pledges to Build New Hospitals
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Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has said that the government is building and upgrading clinics, hospitals, and mental health facilities across the country to meet growing healthcare demands, reports SABC News. Motsoaledi presented his department's Budget Vote, and he announced plans for three new academic hospitals in Mpumalanga, North West, and the Northern Cape. He warned that without these infrastructure projects, public health facilities, already strained by population growth, urbanisation, and cross-border patients, will face worsening overcrowding, leading to dire conditions like pregnant women sleeping on floors.
Police Pledge Action After Rosettenville Crime Protest
Joburg District Commissioner Nonhlanhla Kubheka has promised Rosettenville residents that their concerns will be addressed within 30 days and taken up with the national police commissioner, reports EWN. The residents protested against rising crime, blaming illegal immigrants, and called for their deportation and the closure of foreign-owned internet cafes. They also demanded that undocumented foreign nationals be barred from public healthcare. Some accused Booysens Police officers of colluding with illegal immigrants. Kubheka said she would support local stations in responding to the demands and urged residents to report unresolved cases.
