A high court ruling has freed the Eastern Cape health department from paying out lump sums to victims of medical negligence, paving the way for it to care for victims in the state sector — and setting a precedent that other cash-strapped provinces could look to follow.

The judgment, in a test case in the high court in Bhisho, is expected to lead to a dramatic reduction in the scale of the medical negligence payouts made by the Eastern Cape health department to successful claimants. It will also strengthen the hand of other provinces that seek to follow suit...

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.