South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde
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The South African (SA) government's roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine is behind its target, largely owing to concerns about the sideeffects and the effectiveness of the vaccines, and because they have been developed over a very short time frame. Another factor is a lack of trust in government policies regarding COVID-19 and its running of public health. One survey has indicated that for persons seeking a vaccination, the preferred vaccine site would be general practitioners (GPs). ⋯ Calls have been made by the South African Medical Association, among others, for GPs to be allowed to assist with the government's roll-out programme. If ~8 000 GPs in SA participated in a properly administered roll-out programme, and each GP were to vaccinate only 10 people a day, this would yield 400 000 vaccinations a week or ~1.6 million a month. The GPs could invite their patients and others to visit their room for a COVID-19 vaccination, as they do with the annual influenza vaccine.
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Doctors' organisations have called for special legislation regarding the criminal charging of doctors for culpable homicide, and the need for special medical malpractice courts to deal with the huge increase in the number of medical malpractice cases. However, there are very few criminal prosecutions, because the prosecuting authorities generally accept that doctors do not intend to kill their patients, and are only likely to charge them for intentional or very serious deviations from the standard of a reasonably competent doctor in their profession. Doctors are also generally not held liable for mere errors of judgement. ⋯ Doctors need not fear making admissions during mediation proceedings in civil matters, because legislation provides that such admissions and evidence may not be used in subsequent civil actions. The Chief Justice can also issue a practice directive that all presiding officers must appoint medicolegal experts as assessors in medical malpractice cases. The medical profession can assist the process by arranging a panel of such experts who can be called upon to serve as assessors by the courts.