Gauteng Department of Health strengthens capacity to deal with lawsuits

23 Oct 2013

The Gauteng Department of Health has developed a litigation strategy and strengthened its capacity to deal with cases of medical negligence. The department told the provincial Standing Committee on Public Accounts today that legal advisers from different departments have been seconded to the department of health to assist in dealing with lawsuits.

The department has experienced an increase in legal cases following reforms implemented by Road Accident Fund to stop lawyers from making claims on behalf of survivors of motor vehicle accidents. The number of cases faced by the department has increased from 103 in 2010/2011 financial year to 302 in 2012-2013 financial as a result.

The number of cases settled has also increased from 14 in 2010-2011 financial year to 41 in 2012-2013 financial year. The department paid out a total sum of R228 million to settle 69 cases in this period (2010 to 20130). The department has, from April to September this year, paid out R41 million to settle 17 cases.

The committee was also told that the department had taken steps to prevent unauthorised expenditure, irregular expenditure as well as fruitless and wasteful expenditure. Supply chain management reforms, cost containment measures, budget process reforms, a moratorium on filling of non-critical posts, reduction of overtime expenditure and re-engineering of the medical supplies depot were some of the measures implemented.

These steps resulted in a reduction in unauthorised expenditure, irregular expenditure as well as fruitless and wasteful expenditure. Unauthorised expenditure was brought down to R324,4 million in the last financial year compared to R1.025 billion the in 2011/12 financial year, R1.1 billion in 2010/11 financial year and R1.7 in 2009/10 financial year.

The department said a reduction in these amounts was an indication that it turnaround strategy and preventative measures were bearing the required results in stabilising and improving the financial position of the department.

Statement issued by Simon Zwane, Gauteng Health, October 24 2013

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