South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde
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Given the elevated risk of tuberculosis (TB), including drug-resistant disease, experienced by health workers in South Africa (SA), effective workers' compensation for occupational TB is a legal right and an essential social benefit. ⋯ Affected health workers' experience of the workers' compensation system was mostly negative, adding to the burden of being ill with TB. Education of management and clinicians, improvement in communication, and timeous and regular checking of claim status and of payment of applicable compensation are required at the provincial level. Dedicated facility-based occupational health units are needed, with a staff complement of knowledgeable persons trusted by their colleagues. However, the effectiveness of the system is ultimately dependent on the ability of the Compensation Fund to register and display claims timeously and administer compensation expeditiously.
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Given the increasing numbers of ethical and legal issues arising from the COVID-19 epidemic, particularly in respect of patient-doctor confidentiality, doctors must explain to patients how the measures taken to combat the spread of the virus impact on their confidentiality. Patients must be reassured that doctors are ethically bound to continue to respect such confidentiality, but it should be made clear to them that doctors must also comply with the demands of the law. While the Constitution, statutory law and the common law all recognise a person's right to privacy, during extraordinary times such as the COVID-19 pandemic, confidentiality must be breached to a degree to halt the spread of the virus.
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While many countries are preparing to face the COVID-19 pandemic, the reported cases in Africa remain low. With a high burden of both communicable and non-communicable disease and a resource-constrained public healthcare system, sub-Saharan Africa is preparing for the coming crisis as best it can. We describe our early response as a designated COVID-19 provincial hospital in Cape Town, South Africa (SA). ⋯ The SAgovernment announced a countrywide lockdown from midnight 26 March 2020 to midnight 30 April 2020 to stem the pandemic and save lives. However, many questions remain on how the COVID-19 threat will unfold in SA, given the significant informal sector overcrowding and poverty in our communities. There is no doubt that leadership and teamwork at all levels is critical in influencing outcomes.