Medical Aid News South Africa

Subscribe

Elections 2024

Weekly Update EP:01 Khaya Sithole , MK Election Ruling, ANC Funding, IFP Resurgence & More

Weekly Update EP:01 Khaya Sithole , MK Election Ruling, ANC Funding, IFP Resurgence & More

sona.co.za

Advertise your job ad
    Search jobs

    Dodgy 'Dr Joe' removed from Gems website amid HPCSA probe

    The 'House call with Dr Joe' column on the Gems website has been taken down just days after TimesLIVE ran a story about how PR staffers from Martina Nicholson Associates were allegedly the ones offering medical health advice and not a qualified doctor as perceived.

    "Apologies for the inconvenience, this page is currently under review," was the message displayed on the page where dozens of questions and answers relating to a vast number of health issues from cancer, fertility and medication had been listed prior to the TimesLIVE story.

    Health Professions Council of SA spokesperson Priscilla Sekhonyana said they were investigating the allegations about the column.

    "The HPCSA is currently investigating the matter and once it has been finalised I will inform you accordingly," she said.

    The Government Employee Medical Scheme (Gems) had insisted that the answers had all been supplied by qualified medical practitioners.

    Company owner, Martina Nicholson, had last week forwarded a response from Gems chief healthcare officer, Vuyo Gqola, who said: "All content is approved by medical doctors, both prior to being sent on to the member by Gems and also prior to being placed on the website by Gems."

    Nicholson herself had dismissed TimesLIVE claims that she used lay people to offer medical advice to Gems members, stating that the scathing allegations were made by a disgruntled former employee.

    She later said her staffers only wrote the top and bottom of the answers.

    "The work we do here at MNA is actually only a very small part of an extensive process," she said.

    Several doctors approached by TimesLIVE pointed out mistakes in numerous answers including one about the cancer risk associated with asymmetric breasts.

    A pharmacist said some of the answers were also problematic because they suggested treatments.

    Diagnosing and treating people over the internet without a full examination and medical history is illegal.

    Source: The Times

    Source: I-Net Bridge

    For more than two decades, I-Net Bridge has been one of South Africa’s preferred electronic providers of innovative solutions, data of the highest calibre, reliable platforms and excellent supporting systems. Our products include workstations, web applications and data feeds packaged with in-depth news and powerful analytical tools empowering clients to make meaningful decisions.

    We pride ourselves on our wide variety of in-house skills, encompassing multiple platforms and applications. These skills enable us to not only function as a first class facility, but also design, implement and support all our client needs at a level that confirms I-Net Bridge a leader in its field.

    Go to: http://www.inet.co.za
    Let's do Biz