Africa-Press – South-Africa. The Northern Cape is facing medical negligence claims of R2.1 billion, despite having the country’s lowest population.
The province is home to more than one million residents.
Speaking during the tabling of the 2023/24 financial year budget on Wednesday, Health MEC Maruping Lekwene said his department faced claims worth R2.1 billion in litigation for medical negligence.
“The medico-legal claims comprised 93 active cases. Most of these cases are birth injuries, which result in cerebral palsy,” Lekwene said.
The spokesperson for the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa, Sbongiseni Delihlazo, said the shortage of healthcare workers was a serious challenge in public healthcare facilities.
“Government does not seem to realise that not dealing with the shortage is self-defeating as it gets punished with medico-legal cases,” Delihlazo said.
Last month, while speaking at the presidential health summit, Health Minister Joe Phaahla said medical litigation was a major challenge for the department.
“Medical litigation remains a high risk; we are working with provinces to have a coordinated response. Basic issues, such as proper record keeping and preservation, make a difference,” Phaahla said.
The Northern Cape health department was allocated R6.1 billion for the 2023/24 financial year, an increase of 3.7%, compared to the budget tabled in the last financial year.
Lekwene said the budget made no provision for wage increases and general salary adjustments for inflation.
Lekwene said:
Lekwene said the department planned to re-integrate people with disabilities into society.
“This would include patients that need, among others, artificial limbs and body bracing. The provincial team will provide monthly outreach services to attend to identified cases.
“This service was lacking because of a shortage of professional staff, and the department has since appointed three such professionals,” he said.
Lekwene said R5.3 million had been set aside for the procurement of assistive devices.
He said long-waiting theatre times had impacted prolonged hospital stays and increased inter-facility transfers.
Lekwene said access to oncology services remained a significant challenge due to patients presenting at an advanced stage for cancer treatment.
“It is to this end that we have set aside approximately R106 million, through a conditional grant, to fund the establishment of a Radiation Therapy Centre at Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital,” he said.
Lekwene said to ensure effective and efficient infrastructure delivery and provision of technical support services to the department, it had set aside R510 million.
He said R137 million had been allocated to healthcare support services – and, from this budget, a specialised forensic medical service accounted for R49 million.
“A new mortuary in Kuruman will be operationalised in this financial year, and plans are under way to construct a new forensic mortuary in the Frances Baard district.
“Four body fridges have been procured for Kimberley and Postmasburg forensic mortuaries. All mortuary fridges are currently fully operational, with optimum storage space for storing the deceased with dignity,” he said.
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