National Health Minister calls for a shift in tobacco perception
IN SAFE HANDS: Award-winning cardiologists from the Lenmed: Ethekwini Hospital and Heart Centre are Doctors Shiraz Gafoor and Ismail Soosiwala (centre). They are seen with Doctor Morgan Mkhatshwa (left), Lenmed's head of Social Impact, and Niresh Bechan, the hospital's CEO, at the KwaZulu-Natal Doctors Healthcare 29th Annual Medical Conference held at Coastlands Convention Centre
Image: Supplied
The fight against tobacco is on, according to National Health Minister Doctor Aaron Motsoaledi. Speaking at the KwaZulu-Natal Doctors Healthcare 29th Annual Medical Conference in Durban recently, Motsoaledi said it was time governments viewed tobacco as a health issue and not an economic one, as ultimately it did more harm than good.
He offered a global perspective, pointing to countries that had made strides in combating infectious diseases while failing to curb non-communicable diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
During his address to medical specialists, the minister said they all would concur that even at university exams, when one didn’t know the answer to what the causes of a particular condition were, if they wrote down smoking, they had a chance of being correct and gaining a mark.
He said a comprehensive Tobacco Bill would impact chronic condition numbers in South Africa and even lighten the load on our healthcare system as NHI gets underway.
The medical conference also recognised outstanding medical professionals. Among the award winners were specialists from Lenmed: Ethekwini Hospital and Heart Centre, who were acknowledged for their TAVI (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) programme.
Lead cardiologists Doctors Shiraz Gafoor and Ismail Soosiwala received the award on behalf of their team that was responsible for the only accredited TAVI programme in Africa. The programme, which has been accredited by the American College of Cardiology, offers high-risk patients a less invasive treatment option to open-heart surgery.
Doctor Morgan Mkhatshwa, head of Social Impact at Lenmed, said they were happy to be recognised for their efforts in cardiac care. The KwaZulu-Natal Doctors Healthcare's (KZNDHC) chairman, Professor Morgan Chetty, said shifts in healthcare did require preventative and innovative solutions, many of which would be digital and data-driven.
Doctor William Mapham, founder of the Vula App, a pioneering platform linking primary healthcare workers in rural settings to specialist doctors, was recognised for his innovation. Also among the awardees was Professor Ncoza Dlova, dean and the first African woman to head the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s School of Clinical Medicine, and general practitioner Doctor Unben Pillay, CEO of the Independent Practitioners Association Foundation (IPAF).
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