Exorbitant claims for medical negligence in Gauteng serve as irrefutable proof of the province’s poor healthcare system.
Unsettled claims amounting to R18 billion have been lodged against the Gauteng Department of Health since 2007.
In the first quarter of the 2023/24 financial year, ten claims were lodged for an amount of R98 million.
The Department had to pay out an amount of R435 million in the second quarter of the current financial year to settle 54 claims after judgement was delivered against it.
A further 36 claims amounting to R483 million were also lodged.
Most claims were lodged against the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital – eight claims of R114 million.
Second most is the Mogoerane Hospital with four claims of R89 million, followed by the Leratong Hospital with four claims of R79 million.
Most claims were lodged against hospitals’ gynaecological units (R337 million), followed by surgical units (R97 million) and general nursing (R48 million).
The FF Plus has warned against the failure of the public healthcare system in Gauteng, which results in exorbitant medical negligence claims, for years.
The Department itself admits that there is a shortage of doctors, nurses, functional theatres, live-saving equipment, medicine and more.
But meanwhile, the Department is embroiled in expensive court cases and is unwilling to settle outside of court.
This also serves as irrefutable proof that the proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) is doomed to fail. Under the NHI, claims for medical negligence will increase hand over fist.
The FF Plus encourages everyone to support its petition against the NHI using this link: https://www.vfplus.org.za/af/petisies/nee-aan-die-nhi/
The only solution to the current poor public healthcare in Gauteng and to do away with the NHI is to get rid of the ANC and replace it with a competent and accountable coalition government, with the FF Plus as a governing partner.
Together, we can repair and rebuild Gauteng.
