GAUTENG HEALTH FACES R235 MILLION LEGAL CLAIMS
The Gauteng Health Department faces 101 medico-legal claims totalling R235 million.
This is revealed by the department in a report to the Public Accounts Committee of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature.
These claims are for alleged negligence at Gauteng public hospitals.
Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital faces 26 claims totalling R22.8 million, 17 of which are about alleged negligence leading to brain damage and cerebral palsy in new-born babies. The highest claim at this hospital is for R5 million for "damages following the death of a patient after treatment of toothache, abscess in the gum."
The second highest number of claims is against Steve Biko Academic Hospital, facing 12 claims totalling R16 million including the following:
- R4 million for allegedly stopping life support without consent of the next of kin.
- R2 million because "wrong eye operated on resulting in blindness".
- R1.5 million for a patient who died during a heart bypass operation.
- R1.25 million for a patient allegedly raped and assaulted while sedated.
- R830 000 because a foreign object was left in a patient's hip after an operation.
- R500 000 claim from a mother for a son who was admitted for a swollen leg and then got sepsis in his right arm that had to be amputated
Other hospitals facing claims include:
Tembisa Hospital - 9 cases totalling R30.6 million.
Kalafong Hospital - 8 cases totalling R21.9 million.
Natalspruit Hospital - 6 cases totalling R24 million
Dr George Mukhari Hospital - 5 cases totalling R5.1 million, including R1.5 million for a patient operated on the right ear instead of the left ear, and R100 000 for "patient injected with a cleaning solution into her spine and died instantly."
Leratong Hospital - 5 cases totalling R13.5 million.
There are four claims against the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital total R38.9 million including a claim for R20 million for "alleged negligence in performing a surgery which resulted the patient to suffer both physically and mentally."
These claims reflect a horrific decline in treatment standards at our hospitals. Although some amounts claimed are clearly unrealistic they reflect the trauma of patients who feel they have been victims of bad treatment.
Courts have lately been granting higher payouts for medical negligence, so the department will be paying many millions from a very tight budget.
It would be far better to dramatically improve health care so that claims do not have to be made in the first place.
Statement issued by Jack Bloom MPL, DA Gauteng Health Spokesman, June 29 2011
Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter
