The sheriff of the court has seized several cars belonging to the Eastern Cape Health Department, which owes a woman almost R17m in damages for medical negligence, says a Daily Dispatch report.
The department has, meanwhile, vowed it would settle the outstanding amount to the mother whose child suffers from severe cerebral palsy due to medical negligence on the part of department officials.
After a long legal battle, the department last year agreed to pay some R18m to the family. The settlement was made an order of the Eastern Cape High Court (Mthatha) in November. But, the department failed to come up with most of the money as it had not been budgeted for, said health spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo. A writ of execution was issued and the King William’s Town sheriff this week seized several state vehicles.
Kupelo said the department had already settled an interim payment of about R1.5m to the family after the order was granted. ‘The department will pay the difference of R16.8m by the end of this week as it had to re-prioritise its funds to settle the difference.’
[link url="http://www.dispatchlive.co.za/featured/2017/02/17/sheriff-seizes-vehicles-settle-health-lawsuit/"]Daily Dispatch report[/link]