DOCTORS CALL FOR LAWYERS TO GET OUT OF HOSPITALS

10 March 2015

The South African Medical Association Trade Union (SAMA TU) would like to join the health minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi in calling for "lawyers to get out of hospital and go back to court, and for doctors to get out of courts and go back to hospital" (see report).

The increasing frequency and value of medical malpractice claims threatens delivery of health services to the nation, especially the poor. We also agree that access to justice for those who have genuinely suffered at the hands of the healthcare system should never be compromised. However, prevention is better than cure and as stakeholders in health we need to improve the access to and quality of our services.

We would like to declare our support and dedicated participation in the minister's current medico-legal summit. We hope this summit will come up with tangible resolutions and an action plan that will put patients first, protect the interests of the nation, and regulate the healthcare system in a just way.

The impact of medico-legal cases has dire consequences for everyone; the limited resources are diverted from life-saving activities, while there is a risk of extinction of critical medical specialties such as gynaecologists, neurosurgery, anaesthesiology, neonatology and others. As SAMA TU we will embark on a nationwide programme to educate doctors on medico-legal issues, and put more emphasis on improving the quality and access to healthcare.

About the South African Medical Association (SAMA)
The South African Medical Association (SAMA) is a non-statutory, professional association for public and private sector medical practitioners.  Registered as an independent Company, SAMA acts as a trade union for its public sector members and as a champion for doctors and patients

Statement issued by Dr Phophi Ramathuba, SAMA Trade Union President, March 10 2015

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