South Africa’s Highest Community Award

For the first time ever, this community award has been bestowed on a mental health NGO. The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG’s) Founder, Zane Wilson, who received her award for “her outstanding contribution as a mental health care practitioner, and a leader in the struggle to create awareness against diseases such as Depression, Bipolar and Anxiety and her work in the formation of the South African Depression and Anxiety Group”. Celebrating 18 years of mental health and advocacy this year, the South African Depression and Anxiety Group is the country’s largest and most recognised mental health initiative. “SADAG was established in 1994 in response to the absence of any formal advocacy structure for people with the common and potentially disabling mental health problems of depression, bipolar and anxiety. Since its inception under the visionary leadership of Zane Wilson, it has become the leading mental health advocacy organization in Africa, and it's achievements place it among the most innovative and effective organisations worldwide,” says Psychiatrist Prof. Michael Berk, who assisted Wilson in establishing SADAG 18 years ago. “SADAG has been advocating for the rights of mental health patients since its inception” said Berk. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it !

COMMENT ON THE DISCUSSION DOCUMENT BY 2 JULY

A discussion document published by the Council for Medical Schemes on 16 May 2012 (Circular 16 of 2012) 48 pages. CMS circular 6 2012

Purpose of document: to establish the minimum information that medical schemes should circulate to its customers (beneficiaries) and suppliers (service providers) and the most suitable way (channels) to use.

Comment by 2 July 2012 to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or send comments to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for inclusion in its comment.

Patients and patient stakeholder groups need to make comment to show their interest and concern.

The Minister of Health intends to introduce the Medicines and Related Substances Draft Amendment Bill [2012] in Parliament this year. draft med and related substances bill 2012
Comments or representations on the proposed draft amendment to the regulations can be emailed to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it at  by no later than 25 May 2012. Enquiries can be made to Ms Hyldia Phasha tel: (012) 395 8492.

The National Health Department says it is working on building stronger relations with the private sector to address issues of trust. It says it is important for the public and private health sectors to work together to build an effective National Health Insurance (NHI) system.

PHANGO SUPPORTS THE WHO PATIENT SAFETY INITIATIVE

VISIT THE WHO PATIENT SAFETY SITE

What is patient safety?

Patient safety is the absence of preventable harm to a patient during the process of health care. The discipline of patient safety is the coordinated efforts to prevent harm, caused by the process of health care itself, from occurring to patients. Over the past ten years, patient safety has been increasingly recognized as an issue of global importance, but much work remains to be done.