The Gauteng Health Department has received 157 new summonses in the last year which claimed R1.6 billion for medical negligence. The DA says Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto is responsible for most of the medical negligence claims in Gauteng.
The claims come from several parents of children who suffered brain damage during birth at the hospital. The DA’s Jack Bloom said 157 summonses were sent to the Gauteng Health Department worth R1.6 billion in the last year only. Bloom said the figures were revealed at a meeting of the Gauteng’s legislature’s health committee.
“According to the department, medical-legal litigation continues to increase, and extraordinary measures must be taken to prevent a possible collapse of the health care system.
“The department also identifies the legal attachment of funds as a huge challenge to the financial sustainability of the department as they diminish the ability of the department to render health services to patients as it is obliged to do in terms of Section 27 of the Constitution.”
The department has been refused extra funding hence its own funds are attached by creditors. The department acknowledges that “the root cause of all medio-legal litigation is negligence which occurs in the hospitals and clinics.”
Bloom said the fact that negligence complains are increasing instead of deceasing should be of great concern.
“Our hospitals urgently need better management, the filling of staff vacancies, and proper equipment, especially in maternity units where most of the court cases arise because of the babies injured at birth,” said Bloom.
Source: The South African, Jacaranda FM, image from Jacaranda FM
