Over the years, I’ve come full circle, having returned to hard news via the Covid 19 pandemic, writing for a variety of well-known media titles while using my SA Medical Journal experience to turn other complex scientific news into easily accessible pieces for the lay reader. I cover cyber conferences, webinars, write features and have produced pamphlets, books and glossy magazines on health-related matters for large and small healthcare outfits and funders. I’ve also evolved into a strong literary advocate for cancer survivors through my own direct experience and by interviewing dozens of fellow travellers on their unique journeys.
Recent freelance coverage
- Doctors Outraged As Ransomware Attack On NHLS Delays Test Results, Puts Lives At Risk (Health-E News July 4, 2024)
- “Black Suit” hackers hold SA’s Health Service hostage: Lives on the line (BizNews July 4, 2024)
- Medical/Health: How the NHLS Computer Hack Will Cost Lives (Early Breakfast with Africa Melane)
- How The NHLS Computer Hack Will Cost Lives (Health-E News July 1, 2024)
- Dancing a lifesaving DVT quick step (Muslim Views July 2024)
- Hospital in the sick bay (Financial Mail June 27 – July 3, 2024)
- Clarion call to fasting diabetics by top Muslim endocrinologist (Muslim Views May 2024)
- HIV Among Trans Women Is At Crisis Levels. Discrimination Is Fuelling The Fire (Health-E News November 15, 2023)
- Children Are A Blind Spot In South Africa’s HIV Response (Health-E News November 10, 2023)
- New TB detection technology speeds up case finding (Juta Medical Brief March 15, 2023)
- UPDATED: Doctors’ anxiety as curator issues cut-off order to indemnifier (Juta Medical Brief August 31, 2022)
- Clumsily correcting healthcare inequities (Mail & Guardian: December 22, 2023)
- Going for the gap may not be enough (Financial Mail: February 1 – February 7, 2024)
- South Africa’s legislating its way into a healthcare crisis (Mail & Guardian: February 16 to 22, 2024)
- Is the doctor in, or out? (Financial Mail: February 22 – February 28, 2024)
- Why SA is losing its doctors (Financial Mail: March 28 – April 3, 2024)
- Editor ousted: Gaza conflict costs journalist her job (Financial Mail: April 4, 2024) (the online link can be accessed here, or you can download the PDF version).
- Battle rages over medical body (Financial Mail: April 4 – April 10, 2024)
- Focus on private practice, experts urge jobless young doctors (JUTA Medical Brief: April 10, 2024)
- What’s driving up medical inflation? (Financial Mail: April 11 – April 17, 2024)
Previous freelance coverage
- Death notification forms: Take a breath before signing them off – experts
- Burnout may leave globally sought-after SA public healthcare expertise moot
- E-cigarette Summit: Vaping improves odds of quitting tobacco smoking
- SA’s emergency medics face burn-out as challenges mount
- E-cigarette Summit – Unlocking the harm reduction potential of e-cigarettes
- Grim child palliative care – Covid 19 and no funding to blame
- US healthcare worker court verdicts – lessons for SA
- Eskom and procurement rules threatening rural patients’ care
- End of Life decisions – SA doctors in a legal wilderness
- Corruption, lack of service delivery co-drivers of low vaccine-uptake: MAC co-chair
Freelance coverage of COVID-19
Daily Maverick
- Behind the scenes: How the first 500,000 vaccine doses administered in SA were secured (17 May 2021)
- For next pandemic we need vaccines in 100 days, says expert (29 April 2021)
- ‘It’s such a botch’: SA’s vaccine delays and Covid lockdown proved deadly – Prof Alex van den Heever (28 March 2021)
- Local experts at odds on whether the AstraZeneca vaccine should be used in South Africa (17 March 2021)
- Top researchers urge taking a leap of faith on the AstraZeneca vaccine while others suggest caution (12 March 2021)
Hospital Association of South Africa (HASA)
Spotlight
Mail and Guardian
- Scammers jump Covid jab queue (5-11 March 2021)
- A healthcare workers’ survival kit (12-18 March 2021)
- Visionary plan benefits rural blind (23-29 April 2021)
- State of play at 400 days’ lockdown (30 April – 6 May 2021)
- Frosty reception awaits vaccines: Sub-zero storage crucial (13 May 2021)
- What vaccine delays have cost SA (14-20 May 2021)
- Vaccination centres prepare for South Africa’s largest ever vaccine roll-out (14 May 2021)
- As the Covid-19 third-wave hits, how many South Africans have had the virus already (29 May 2021)