Gauteng health department pays R521m in medico-legal costs between January 2017 and March 2018
The Gauteng health department paid out R521m in medical negligence claims between January 2017 and March 2018. This was in respect of 138 cases. The department still faces a further 1‚597 cases totaling more than R22bn which are before the courts. This was revealed by Gauteng health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa in response to questions by DA health spokesman MEC Jack Bloom‚ who has expressed concern about the claims which will cost close to half of the department’s R46.4bn budget. The claims relate to neonatal deaths‚ hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy‚ obstetrics and gynaecology‚ post caesarean section sepsis‚ orthopaedic, surgical, anaesthetics and patient falls. Bloom said there should be consequences for negligent hospital staff who should be "properly disciplined". "It shows that hospital conditions have not improved significantly to prevent medical mistakes that harm patients‚" Bloom said. Ramakgopa said: "Almost all hospitals are affected by medico-legal claims." The department’s freeze o...
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